


On the Construction and Testing of Skeletal Military Units

by carolnegate



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Based On Real Science, Biology, Codes & Ciphers, Gen, Many Original Characters - Freeform, Puzzles, Science Fiction, Short Chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-14
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-06-02 04:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 53
Words: 24,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6550978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolnegate/pseuds/carolnegate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which King Asgore requires an army and I, the Royal Scientist, enthusiastically provide one. Updates to the log are will occur daily until further notice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. ENTRY 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is mirrored on fanfiction.net. It was originally posted to my tumblr blog at skeletalmilitaryunits.tumbr.com.
> 
> This fic will include a few puzzles, ciphers, and encoded messages. None of them need to be solved in order to fully enjoy the story. In fact, the indecipherable text may be more meaningful than its decoded version.

**ENTRY 1**

The king and I have both noticed a startling trend.

The humans sealed us inside this cavern just over a millennium ago. Roughly six hundred years later, the child fell down into Home, and…well, that entire mess occurred. No more than two hundred years after that, another human arrived – a small child whose soul Asgore easily took. One hundred years later, there was another child. Fifty years, another. Then thirty. And just a few days ago, another child still.

Humans are falling down into the Underground more and more often. Whether this is because of an increased in human population or simply because they’ve become more comfortable living around Mt. Ebott, I do not know. However, I did conduct a bit of math, and I came to an interesting conclusion.

If trends continue, then we will possess seven human souls by the end of the century.

I presented my findings to the king. He was not entirely surprised. Presumably, he had noticed a similar trend himself. We began to talk about logistics. Obviously, once we destroy the barrier and continue the war, many changes will need to take place. Monsters will need to move out of the mountain, scouts will be sent out, war tactics will be devised…

As the Royal Scientist, it is my duty to shoulder the burden of some of those logistics. I have arranged for more talks with the king.


	2. ENTRY 2

**ENTRY 2**

My talks with Asgore have given me quite a bit to think about.

I couldn’t help but notice that he was…hesitant.  When I brought up the inevitable future of him beginning the war anew, he would begin to ramble on about the associated logistical difficulties.  He has seen first-hand what humans are capable of. Perhaps he is afraid of what will happen when we finally step out onto the surface?

One thing that both the king and I agreed upon is that he cannot be depended on to win the war for us. Yes, absorbing seven souls will give him godlike power.  Yes, he would gladly fight the entire war himself, keeping his subjects safe from harm. However, he is currently the kingdom’s single point of failure.  If the humans discover a way to neutralize that kind of seven-souled power…

Well.  The humans already offered us one small mercy is letting us live beneath this mountain.  They will not spare us a second time.

We will need an army to fight the humans in the event that Asgore does not win the war for us. Asgore has charged me with putting together this army.

Well…to be more accurate, he off-handedly brought up the idea of putting such an army together, and I enthusiastically told him that I would take care of it.  My recent studies have given me quite a few ideas, and I am eager to put my discoveries to the test.

I may only have a few years to finish this project.  Time to get started.


	3. ENTRY 3

**ENTRY 3**

I have contributed a great deal to the scientific community over the years.  I single-handedly designed the CORE.  I kickstarted the field of magical relativity.  Textbooks all over the Underground praise me for my brilliance.

But my favored field, the discoveries I am most proud of, cannot be found in any monster’s textbook.  In fact, most monsters have never even heard of the field, and those who have heard of it deny its importance.  If they knew of my fascination for it, they would scoff.  Irrelevant, useless, perverted at best, they would say.

I am, of course, referring to biology.

Judging by the human garbage that has fallen down here over the past few hundred years, humanity has put a great deal of effort into studying their own bodies.  They have discovered so much about their inner workings: organ systems, enzymes, neuroscience, tissues, cells, reaction kinetics.  Whenever I have a free day, I sometimes comb through the garbage dump, hoping to see what the humans have discovered next.

Monsters, in contrast, know little to nothing about the workings of their bodies.  They are content to accept the broad, outdated theories of ages past.  As long as healing magic continues to work, they do question why.  They do not pause to wonder why food, even magical food, tastes better once cooked.  Certain types of monsters specialize in certain types of magic because “that’s the way it’s always been.”

Yes, magic is often dependent on hope, trust, and in some cases, even blind faith.  These things do not mesh well with a scientific approach. However, the current state of my favored field, this level of willful ignorance, fills me with disgust.

What’s even more depressing is that so many of the humans’ discoveries are easily applicable to monsters as well.  For instance, when a human digests physical food, they need a way to transport this matter to other places in their body.  To do this, their bodies use a fluid called “blood” to absorb the digested food.  Then, a muscular “heart” pumps this blood throughout the body using a series of “blood vessels.”

My personal studies have revealed the presence of magical “lay lines” within monsters.  Much like how a human’s “blood vessels” transport different types of physical matter around the body, a monster’s lay lines direct the flow of different types of magic.  

If only monsters had things like “hospitals” and “medical centers”.  With a little more study, my discoveries could revolutionize magical medicine.  Biology has many, many uses: combatting disease, birth control, food production…

Even creating an entire army from scratch.

Conscription?  War campaigning?  Propaganda?  Ha! The army doesn’t need to draw from the current monster population.  They can stay safe and happy, just as Asgore intended.

After all, monsters aren’t made.  They’re grown.


	4. ENTRY 4

**ENTRY 4**

I decided to grow an army comprised solely of skeletons. The rationale behind this choice is threefold.

Firstly, I myself am a skeleton. This takes care of quite a few problems.

Secondly, skeletons are already known for being fantastic warriors. Before the war crippled our numbers, skeletons made up a majority of the Royal Guard. We have an unnaturally high pain tolerance, we can endure severe weather with no decrease in productivity, and though we function much better with adequate food and sleep, it is not strictly required for survival.

Thirdly, skeletons reproduce asexually and can produce dozens of offspring each. Once I determine the optimum skeleton model, I can very easily generate the entire army from there.

The downside to a skeleton army is that we take an exorbitant amount of time to develop and mature. Fifty years, in some cases. However, my studies have given me the tools to speed up this process. The ten-year gestation period can become six months. The correct combination of serums should allow a skeleton infant to grow to reach physical adulthood in only one additional month.

I still require a little more data to finalize the serum recipes, but it is nothing that the Royal Scientist should not be able to dredge up from the kingdom's various archives.


	5. ENTRY 5

**ENTRY 5**

I have failed to dredge up the information from the kingdom's various archives.

It is not that I don't possess proper clearance. Rather, it is that the data I require has not yet been found by science. I knew that the monsters' scientific community had no respect for biology, but to think that they would leave such a gaping hole in their knowledge… It is disappointing, to say the least.

It seems that I will need to conduct such studies myself, wasting valuable time and resources in the process. Such a pity.

During my trawl through the archive, however, I ran into the king. I took this opportunity to discuss some of my preliminary ideas with him. He was quite surprised. Apparently, he did not anticipate that I would pursue this project with such initiative.

He was also shocked to learn some of the more precise details of my plans. Well…hrm. Not just "shocked". The words "outraged" and "repulsed" also come to mind. Let it be known that Asgore does not support the prospect of creating new monsters solely for the purpose of war.

I argued with him, of course. The creation of magnificent warriors is only one of my goals for this project. The studies I could conduct, the things I could learn about monster growth and development, would benefit all of monsterkind for generations to come. It would help me to give my favored field the respect it truly deserves. It could even let me rebuild my race.

Asgore eventually realized the magnitude of his misunderstanding. He apologized for his outburst and allowed me to continue with my studies. He requested, however, that I treat all my test subjects with the utmost care and dignity. There would be no inhumane scientific practices in his kingdom.

As if I would ever treat my test subjects inhumanely. They'll be my own children, after all.

Thankfully, the funding for this project remained untouched. I told Asgore of my plans for a new laboratory in Hotland, and he agreed to arrange for its construction. Everything is proceeding nicely. In a few years' time, Asgore could find himself in command of the most powerful army the kingdom has ever seen.

I have resolved to be more careful discussing my plans with the king, however. Another misunderstanding could lead to the destruction of everything I've worked so hard to achieve.


	6. ENTRY 6

**ENTRY 6**

Skeletons are odd creatures. We are some of the only monsters capable of generating blue gravity fields naturally. Our lack of a body gives us a simplified magical anatomy, and we possess slightly more physical matter than the average monster. I have toyed with the theory that skeletons and humans share a recent common ancestor, but I digress.

My point is thus: to get the information required to grow a skeleton, my studies cannot be conducted on other types of monsters. The data will not be applicable. I must test my materials on another skeleton.

The skeleton race was nearly wiped out during the war. Even after we took refuge in this mountain, most of my brethren were too stricken with grief to bare a new generation of children. Why would we bother to bring new monsters into the world, only for them to live under this god-forsaken mountain? No, most of us were content to wait, hoping our immortality would carry us into a time where we could be free once again.

I mistakenly believed that, hardy as skeletons were, some of us would have survived to the present day. Skeletons possess amazing physical constitution, but unfortunately, we have the same emotional weaknesses as every other monster. We are just as prone to depression, to despair, to falling down.

It seems that there is now only one skeleton remaining in the underground.

This skeleton will need to endure several weeks of rigorous testing regarding his reaction to certain magical substances. Such tests could involve a great deal of pain, temporary magical instability, and in a worst-case scenario, long-term damage to the soul.

I would be afraid, but this is my field of specialty. This would hardly be the first time I conducted biological tests on myself. These tests are a little more extreme than I am used to, a little riskier, but…

No, I am safe. There is no danger.

…

I…

Well.

The clock is ticking. I have no rational excuse to put this off.


	7. ENTRY 19

**ENTRY 19**

Many of my preliminary studies did not leave me in a proper state for making verbal log entries. A vast majority of my recordings were indecipherable. The select few that weren't complete gibberish were distressingly off-topic. I have redacted the offending entries to keep this log official.

Although, this is a private log, something to keep my thoughts in order as I work. Keeping this log official should not be a priority. It isn't as if anyone else is going to…

…

As I was saying, my preliminary tests left me speaking in tongues. Luckily, it seems they did not influence my ability to record good data. All substances had the desired effect on my magical signatures. As far as I can tell, I have suffered no permanent damage. This is the best possible news for my work.

Using the data I collected, I devised two different serums. These will be applied to the soldiers after they complete the gestation stage. The exact mechanics of each serum differ, but the end result should be the same: rapid maturation and increased stat totals. Forty years of gradual growth can be accomplished in just under a month.

Now that I have determined the recipes, all that I require is the equipment, supplies, and time. The king has promised to provide all three.


	8. ENTRY 20

**ENTRY 20**

The new lab has finally finished construction. I moved in all of my instruments and files. I spent most of today checking all the utilities and looking through each of the rooms. All of the testing facilities I've requested are present. All of the equipment I've ordered has been installed.

To my surprise, there were twenty-seven bedrooms present in the building. Twenty-six of them were for the subjects, but there was a separate room on the second floor. The king informed me that this was to be my living quarters for the duration of this long-term study. I asked him why this had been included in the building design, and he told me that he had personally requested it. He knows how long the commute to Hotland can be. He thought it would be best if I lived in my testing facility.

This new bedroom is significantly larger than my old one. It has a very nice view of the Magma Sea. The king even enlisted the help of the Royal Guard in moving my furniture. Though, in hindsight, I should have steered Deputy Undyne away from my more valuable furnishings. That desk had been my mother's.

He's a kind man, the king. Though the position of Royal Scientist pays well – extremely well – I must admit that I rarely spend any of this hard-earned money. My attention is always focused on my work. The thought of moving out of my ancient, run-down apartment never even occurred to me. It's comforting to know that the king is constantly looking out for my well-being and comfort.

After the Royal Guard left, Asgore presented me an interesting opportunity. Delta University is looking for a guest lecturer in its Applied Magi-dynamics class. It won't be for another few months, but he wondered if I was interested. I enthusiastically accepted his offer. It has been a very long time since I've had the opportunity to teach, and there are times when I find myself missing it.

Now, I am alone in the lab. It is very quiet. I can hear the gentle hum of the central air. When I look upon the empty rooms, all I can see is the subjects that will soon inhabit them. My mind is abuzz with the discoveries I might make, with the secrets I might uncover about the inner workings of monsters.

I can't believe it's almost time to begin.


	9. ENTRY 21

**ENTRY 21**

Skeletons have a rather unusual system of reproduction. We do not need partners. All we need is good dental hygiene.

We create children by planting our teeth into the ground. The parents tend to the burial place of their children and keep them from being disturbed. Meanwhile, the children absorb earth magic from the soil around them and use it to grow. After about ten years, the fully-formed infants dig their way to the surface. They spend the rest of their development cycle aboveground, slowly growing into adulthood over the course of thirty to forty years.

I have donated twenty-six of my own teeth for the cause. However, I will not be burying them. Instead, each tooth will reside in its own incubation chamber. All nutrients and magic will be provided by the circulating fluid. This will speed up the growth process twentyfold. It will also allow me to test different growth media and hypothetically produce skeletons of differing qualities.

It all seems to surreal. At this moment, almost all of my teeth are laying on my desk. I can feel energy humming within them, faint but filled with limitless potential. By my hands, these little bits of bone and magic can become the most powerful warriors the world has ever seen.

With twenty-six of my teeth pulled, six remain. When I complete my tests and determine the optimal skeleton growth conditions, I will use these six teeth to grow the first generation of the army. These six skeletons will then use their own teeth, 32 each, to grow the next generation. The 192 resulting skeletons will then beget the generation after.

Assuming I can build the infrastructure to sustain this exponential growth, generation four will yield close to two hundred thousand warriors. This will easily be enough to contest humanity when the time comes.

Though, I will admit to a moment of vanity. The six teeth I chose to keep were all molars, all teeth that no one would see under normal circumstances. Appearing to have no teeth looks slightly better than having a few teeth, in my opinion.

Oh well. Where reproduction is concerned, the type of tooth should have no influence on what kind of skeleton will emerge. Perhaps I can run some further tests once more skeleton subjects, and therefore more teeth, become available.


	10. ENTRY 22

**ENTRY 22**

Today, I finished planting each tooth into its designated chamber. Over the next six months, they should grow into twenty-six skeleton infants.

To ensure that all of my test subjects will grow up to be strong, healthy monsters, I did some preliminary testing of each tooth before planting them. Interestingly enough, I discovered that the teeth have small, magical cores inside. Further testing and analysis showed that these cores have some soul-like qualities. Each tooth has a "proto-soul" of sorts.

I would love to investigate this further, but I cannot do so without risking damage to my subjects. As before, perhaps I can pursue this course of study once I have more teeth available to me.

Concerning the growth of my subjects, I have high hopes for the A and B models. S and T look promising as well. Out of all of them, however, Y and Z are the least likely to survive. That is not to say that I don't expect them to live through the incubation process, because I do. However, they mark the extreme edge case for my stat-enhancement tests. Their bodies might not be able to handle the seraphin supplements.

If they begin showing signs that they won't be able to develop safely…well. I can always remove them from their incubation chambers and bury them like normal skeletons. This would slow their development and essentially disqualify them from my experiments, but it would hardly matter at that point. I can't test dead subjects.

Y and Z represent a high-risk, high-reward scenario. They could potentially supersede all other subjects in terms of stat totals. As long as I can pull them out before anything goes wrong, why would I be satisfied with the bronze? Shouldn't I go for the gold?

…

God, I hope nothing goes wrong.


	11. ENTRY 23

**ENTRY 23**

Sadly, I have not taken the time to contribute to this log as of late. There has been nothing of interest to report – all subjects are developing at the predicted rate. There have been no minor problems, let alone major ones.

Normally, some unforeseen consequence of a specific design choice would have come to light by now. If there were going to be any problems with Y and Z, the signs would have already made themselves known. However, everything has been going smoothly.

Murphy's Law is the bane of all researchers. Perhaps I have done something recently to warrant this good KARMA.

Asgore even came by the lab to check up on things, and he had not a single complaint. It seems that he has completely forgiven me for our previous misunderstanding. He told me he should be able to drop by my lab if asked, but he can no longer visit on a whim anymore. Some of his royal duties are apparently piling up on him. From now on, my activities will essentially be unsupervised.

This is good news, for I have come to some…decisions.

All of monsterkind stands to gain from the discoveries I make here. If one test could mean the difference in eradicating a disease, in making lives more enjoyable, in winning a war against the humans, wouldn't it be worth it to…

…Well. Of course it would. But the king would never understand. He is a wise, just ruler, but like any monster, he can allow his emotions to cloud his judgement. That is why he needs a Royal Scientist, someone who can work in the pursuit of knowledge without balking at its cost.

There is no known method to determine a monster's DEF without harming them in some way. Additionally, I wish to see my subjects' skill in combat, and this will naturally require putting their well-being at risk.

I will conduct all my studies as humanely as possible. This will be far from the torture that humanity occasionally stoops to in the name of science. But, looking at how the king misinterpreted a few comments of mine just a few months ago…

I'm sorry, Asgore. In this case, I think I would rather ask for forgiveness than permission.


	12. ENTRY 24

**ENTRY 24**

The subjects continue to develop on schedule. There have been no problems. Nothing of interest to report.

Why, then, do I feel the pressure to record this log entry? Why do I so desperately want to say something interesting?

…

I suppose I could talk about the monster who came before me. The previous Royal Scientist.

He was a brilliant monster by the name of Dr. Ooblook. I was the one who ultimately designed of the CORE, so most monsters credit me for the advances in magidynamics that made such a project possible. In reality, Ooblook did most of the theoretical work. I simply brought his vision into reality.

His most intriguing discoveries regard the physics behind magical processes. Most notably, he discovered that all magic processes emit low levels of electromagnetic radiation. He used that knowledge to construct a machine that could detect and measure this radiation and therefore the processes themselves. He charmingly named his device the "Spectergraph" after he realized it could be used to detect invisible ghosts.

He then went on to prove that specific magical processes could be linked to certain wavelengths of radiation. This allowed him to both locate said magical processes and determine which ones were taking place. It was an incredible discovery for the field of magical testing equipment.

It was around this time that I became his protégé. I helped him fine-tune the design of his spectergraph. Soon, he was able to track magical processes occurring on an atomic level in real time. He used the spectergraph to test and prove most of his theories on magidynamics.

Then, he fell down. Or, considering that he was a ghost, should I say he passed on? He left me with the burden of using his discoveries to benefit the kingdom. I spent decades of my life designing the CORE, perfecting it, managing its production. Because of my hard work in that regard, everyone credits me with the progress he made. There's barely a monster alive today who remembers his name.

It was quite some time before I finally had the chance to work on projects that truly interested me. Although, I suppose living out Ooblook's legacy did have its advantages. It's thanks to his spectergraph that I can monitor the magi-biological processes of my subjects without surgery. Despite no outward signs of life, I can say with absolute certainty that they are all alive, healthy, and developing properly in their tanks.

…

I wonder…

Who is next? I was Ooblook's protégé, but who will be mine? Despite my functional immortality, I cannot live forever. And even if I do, do I want to spend century after century of bearing the kingdom's burdens? I could eventually choose to retire. Who would be the Royal Scientist then?

…

These questions are getting me nowhere. I have work to do.


	13. ENTRY 25

**ENTRY 25**

I wondered why my alarm clock was ringing so early today. Then, I remembered. I had agreed to teach that lecture at Delta University.

I didn't worry, as I had prepared the lecture weeks in advance. I spent the morning commute looking over my notes and slides. Once I reached the lecture hall, I took note of my audience – about a hundred students of varying species. They were all here for their Applied Magidynamics class.

I took the students through a quick survey of human biology, the blood vessel system, and the parallels I had drawn in order to discover monster lay lines. Specifically, I was there to talk about the role of Ooblook's spectergraph in discovering all of this. Going into the finer details of my major biological discoveries was not within the scope of the lecture, but I am now hopefully one step closer to bringing my field the credit it deserves.

It all went very smoothly. That being said, most of the students looked consistently bored throughout the lecture. I cannot blame them. What college student isn't bored by their lectures? Few of them are truly passionate for learning, even in their chosen field of study. Furthermore, this was a guest lecture. A one-off talk about an unappreciated discipline. I did not expect any of them to treat it seriously.

There was one exception. After class, one of the students approached me with some questions. She thought the connection I'd drawn between human blood and monster magic was brilliant, and she wanted to know if there were any other "analogous structures", as she'd put it.

This led to a short discussion on human hormones and some of the magi-biological systems that dictate monster growth and development. She invited me to lunch so we could continue the conversation, but sadly, I was forced to decline. I needed to return to my subjects. However, we did exchange addresses, and I promised to send her a letter whenever I became available for further talks.

It's heartening, knowing that I am not the only monster in the underground fascinated by human biology. Perhaps there is some hope for my field after all.


	14. ENTRY 26

**ENTRY 26**

The subjects are finally finished with the gestation phase. To my delight, there was not a single notable problem.

A and B are the two largest subjects, each being about two feet tall. The shortest pair is U and V, each at 16 inches. The rest of the subjects fall comfortably between those extremes. I should note that U and V, despite being the smallest, are still within the healthy range for newborn skeletons.

One by one, I removed each subject from their incubation chamber and transported them to their private quarters. This is where the maturation phase will take place. As predicted, their enhanced gestation has put a large amount of strain on their bodies. This rendered them unconscious while I moved them. Once I laid each of them in their proper bed, I injected them with a sedative. This will keep them comatose until they can enter the maturation phase proper.

However…

Something interesting happened when I moved S into his room. At first, he was no different than any of the other skeletons. His body hung limp in my arms. His head lolled. When I set him down on his bed, however, he stiffened. He shifted about, and then he opened his eyes.

I froze. None of the other subjects had awoken like this. There was no precedence, no plan. In the heat of the moment, the only thing I could think to do was say, "Close your eyes and hold still."

To my surprise, he did exactly that.

He gave a twitch when I inserted the needle, but he did not jerk away. When the sedative began to take effect, and he went limp and assumed his previous state of unconsciousness. I left his room filled with relief but slightly shaken.

I soon returned to transporting the rest of the subjects. T, the skeleon who is fundamentally S's twin, did not wake when I moved him. In fact, S is the only subject who has awoken at any point during the gestation period or this transitional phase. His behavior is a deviation, an anomaly, and that isn't even considering his reaction to my words.

When monsters speak, they communicate along a magical wavelength as well as a physical one. Not all monsters are capable of creating the same physical sounds, but through the power of magical expression, we are capable of having intelligible conversations with each other. I, as a developed adult, can speak with practically every monster in the Underground. S, however, is essentially a newborn. Though he is capable of listening, I am not sure if he is capable of understanding.

Perhaps he understood only the intent of my instructions. Perhaps he would have done what he did regardless of any action I took. I have no way of knowing, and it would be unwise to wake S before his maturation is complete.

Regardless, I will be sure to keep my eye on S. I am curious to see if this event will impact his development.


	15. ENTRY NUMBER 7

**ENTRY NUMBER 7**

While waiting for the effects of my latest test to wear off, I sat down in my reading chair to complete the daily crossword. Sadly, today's was easier than usual, and I was forced to consume the rest of the paper's puzzles for entertainment. I even solved the Jumble, so desperate was I for something to do.

However, something about today's Jumble puzzle was a bit…strange.

I will include a transcription in the log for future reference:

_atpceien_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 0 _

_vbearry_ _ _ 0 _ _ _ _

_tyierntgi_ _ _ _ _ _ 0 _ _ _

_ustcjie_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 0

_aespcrreeevn_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 0 _ _ _

_nnskeids_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 0 _

_What is WD Gaster's favorite cipher?_

_The _ _ _ _ _ _ cipher._


	16. ENTRY 27

**ENTRY 27**

I began to administer the maturation serums this morning. They shall receive one dose every six hours for the next thirty days. The serum includes a strong sedative, so they should be unconscious for the vast majority of this time. Many of them will not even open their eyes until they have reached full physical maturity.

The UC serum schedule – the one I will administer to B, D, F, and every other subject until Z – is designed to accelerate the growth of their body. By my theories, their magical systems should grow to keep pace with their physical form. The LC schedule – administered to A, C, E, and so on – will attempt to do the reverse. By bolstering the growth of their magic systems, their body should likewise grow to accommodate it.

I don't anticipate either of these strategies to work perfectly. By the end of the month, I expect most UC's to be slightly behind in magical maturity and most LC's to be behind in physical maturity. However, the lag should be relatively small, and it won't be anything that can't be fixed by a few months of natural, non-accelerated development.

Henceforth, I will now refer to each subject with a numerical indication of the serum scheduled involved with their maturation – "1" for the LC serum, and "2" for the UC serum. So, subject A will now be referred to as "A1", B as "B2", then C1, D2, E1, and et cetera. This will make it easier for me to keep track of these two groups.


	17. ENTRY 28

**ENTRY 28**

I cannot deny it any longer. The LC serum has some kinks that need to be worked out.

Firstly, I should mention that all the 2's are doing fine. The UC serum is working exactly as intended. In fact, it is working far better than intended. Not only are the 2's well on their way to physical maturity, but their bodies are far larger and healthier than expected. All of them have already surpassed a max HP of 100. B2 looks as if he will exceed 2000 by the time the maturation period is over.

However, the 1's aren't doing nearly so well. Their physical growth is extremely stunted. Their HP totals are likewise lackluster. While I need more testing to determine any precise numbers, their stats appear to be abysmal.

Although…

There are a few things about the 1's that intrigue me. Their magic systems are already approaching complete maturity. Their lay lines are extraordinarily well-developed. Their magical reserves are enormous, and many of them appear capable of utilizing that reserve for extreme bursts of energy and damage.

Some of the 1's, once mature, might even be able to beat a human in a one-on-one fight, assuming I can solve the problem of their low HP. In a best-case scenario, their stunted growth will leave them with a high DEF. At worst…well, armor is always an option. More research needs to be done on magically shielding monsters from human hostility, anyways.

For now, all I can do is cross my fingers and hope these development issues will not cause any permanent damage.


	18. ENTRY 29

**ENTRY 29**

The subjects are nearing the end of the maturation phase. The 2's continue to do well. The 1's remain physically stunted. This is nothing new.

The next three days of serum schedule will involve weaker doses of the growth-enhancing agents. Homeostasis, magical stability, that is the goal. The risky part of this procedure is over.

Strange… Though there have been some problems, most notably in the physical maturation of the 1's, the subjects have always been perfectly healthy. Looking at the spectergraph readings, they all have viable, healthy souls. I have safety measures in place to ensure their survival if anything goes wrong. However, I've never had to use any of them.

I have just put twenty-six skeleton teeth through a new, experimental process, and they are all emerging as stable, healthy adults. I would have expected delayed soul development in at least a few of them, or perhaps minor defects in their magic systems.

Things can't be going this well for no reason. Something must have gone wrong. What, I can't be sure, and I don't even know where to start looking.

…

Ha. It's funny, thinking about KARMA. If there ever was a discredited scientific discipline, that would be the one.

The idea that all "good" actions must be rewarded by "good" luck, that all sins must be paid back in tragedies… Such beliefs are as old as the concept of fate itself. There is no scientific basis for it, no explanation for what could govern such a universal balancing act. Yet, in all the stories and tales passed down throughout the ages, KARMA wins out. The villains are punished. The heroes are rewarded.

Perhaps KARMA would be an easier notion to reject if it did not have a such a strong historical basis. As far as anyone can tell, all criminals are eventually caught. Corrupt members of the guard are systematically removed. Those who work hard and prove themselves before the king are granted positions of power and import.

And that is only what the general populous knows. Despite what the king's propaganda would have me believe, I am old enough to know how the war on the surface truly started. As for the king's son, the child who was murdered for daring to fulfill his sibling's dying wish…well. I had the chance to study the human's body during that period of history. Asirel deserved his fate for committing such an underhanded act of fratricide.

Even a scientist such as myself has a hard time breaking away from the concept of KARMA. I have experienced an unprecedented streak of good luck, and I have certainly done nothing to deserve it. Therefore, my first instinct is to prepare for something catastrophic on the horizon.

Such silly thoughts.


	19. ENTRY 30

**ENTRY 30**

Today marks the last day of both the LC and UC serum schedule. Tomorrow, each subject should awaken of their own devices.

The 1's remain physically immature. Frustratingly, their low-key magic relay systems – the closest monster analogue for human "hormones" – are showing all the signs that their bodies have finished developing. They have barely grown at all over the past few days. It now seems that none of them will reach full size, even if given the proper time to do so.

Their magic systems still outstrip even that of a boss monster, but that's beside the point. No matter what kinds of attacks they can unleash, it will mean nothing if they cannot survive a single battle. Their stats are like that of children. Not one of them has exceeded 50 HP, and while this is still healthy for some varieties of monsters, it is worrying to see from a skeleton.

Still, part of me believes that they will find ways to surprise me. I will just have to wait and see.

As for the 2's, it is remarkable how far each of them has come. B2, towering over the rest of his brother and sisters, rivals Asgore in size. Most of the other 2's surpassed my height sometime over the past few days. Of course, there are exceptions. T2 has the "look" of a full-grown skeleton, but he fell behind the other 2's during the maturation phase. A1, the largest 1, is taller than him.

Things are about to get much busier for me. As such, I sent Asgore a full report of everything I've accomplished so far. I told him not to expect much more from me until my tests are over with. I know I will not have much time for regular correspondence in the future, and it is best that he knows that, too.

I debated sending a letter to Alphys, the student I met during my guest lecture. It would be a nice change of pace to strike up a friendly correspondence with another scientist. However, I eventually decided against it. Whatever correspondence we might have would be sporadic at best. Besides, she seemed like a busy student. She likely has better things to do than to write letters to the reclusive Royal Scientist.


	20. ENTRY 31

**ENTRY 31**

What happens when all of the reasoning and brain power of a developed adult meet the learning rate and memory retention of a small child?

The resulting test subjects learn basic locomotion by the end of their first day, develop general magic skills in the days following, and grasp verbal communication by the end of their first week.

I have not allowed any of the subjects to leave their rooms yet, but that has done little to slow their development. I visit them twice a day with their meals. I have systems in place to deliver their food and clothing remotely, but it is important to develop a positive relationship with my subjects. My efforts seem to be bearing fruit. I've taught them all to dress themselves, and I've had lengthy conversations with some of them.

Interestingly enough, the differences between 1's and 2's are behavioral as well as physical. The 2's are less active, more reserved, and when stressed, more hostile. The 1's, meanwhile, are very outspoken, and they always tend to have a smile on their face. They also appear to be the curious ones. Whenever I speak with them, it's all "why" this or "how" that. Especially with S1.

S1…I don't know how to feel about his situation. Where the others took a week to develop language skills, he did so in only four days. I have already begun teaching him how to read, and he's picking it up at an unprecedented pace. The others are developing quickly, but the feats of learning S1 has displayed… Frankly, it seems impossible, and yet here we are.

There are so many things I can teach him. Math, science, culture… Unfortunately, there are still areas of his development where he lags behind. He can barely walk in any coordinated fashion. When he talks, he expresses himself fine, but he struggles to create the proper sounds and shapes.

The other subjects were like this for only a day before they gained proper mastery over their bodies. It makes sense – these are the only bodies they have ever known. S1, meanwhile, was awake during infancy. He is struggling to reconcile his new adult form with the smaller body of his memories.

I theorize that his rapid mental development is due to my interaction with him during his early stages. It gave his mind something to mull over during the maturation phase, a way to develop his intelligence even when unconscious. However, I am not sure if this advanced development was worth crippling his physical coordination. Soldiers are not meant to read and learn. They must run, attack, parry, dodge. As a 1, he already has abysmal HP. He would not survive a second in any real battle.

Perhaps this problem will mend itself. I certainly hope so. S1 is filled with so much potential, and I would hate to see it go to waste.


	21. ENTRY 32

**ENTRY 32**

Social interaction is a necessary requirement for psychological health. In turn, psychological health is a necessary requirement for physical health. From what I've read, this is true for humans, and I see no reason to believe that monsters are any different. We are both social creatures. Spending day after day trapped in a small room, isolated and alone… No monster should have to live like that for longer than is absolutely necessary.

I am now confident that the subjects can manage themselves without my supervision. While S1's coordination still lags behind, he can dress himself and cross a room on his own. It is time to stop babying my subjects. They are ready to leave their quarters.

During the construction of this lab, I requested a large room on the lowermost level. With the help of the Royal Guard's moving services, I filled this room with enough chairs, benches, and tables to seat all twenty-six test subjects. I also set up some bookshelves along the north wall and stocked them with an assortment of literature. If I decide to teach the rest of the subjects to read, this will be a valuable source of both education and entertainment.

I installed a system of cameras and microphones to observe the recreation room from every angle. This will be how I track the subjects' social interactions. I hope I have concealed these devices well, as it would be best to keep this kind of setup a secret. Test subjects often behave differently when they know they are being watched.

That is not to say that there aren't cameras monitoring every corner of this facility. Because there are. However, they are mostly there for security purposes. The lab is the largest government-owned building that does not employ a single member of the Royal Guard. My work and equipment are extraordinarily valuable, and if something "goes missing", I need to know exactly who is responsible.

Now, returning to the subject of…well, my subjects.

For four hours a day, the subjects will be released into the recreation room and allowed to interact. Afterwards, they will return to their private quarters for ten hours, where they will eat their dinner, perform whatever solo activities they wish, and sleep. The following morning, they will be woken up, given breakfast, and subjected to their scheduled testing regimen.

Over the next few weeks, I will test the subjects' basic biological functions. From there, I will move onto testing their stats, particularly their ATK, DEF, and SPEED. Seeing as how they are intended to be soldiers, I will also test their magic attacks and their responses to combat scenarios.

I am not entirely sure what to expect from my test subjects. At worst, they will be a group of average skeletons with a few quirks brought on by their untraditional upbringing. At best, they will be an army of potent war machines. Only time will tell.


	22. ENTRY 33

**ENTRY 33**

I spent the last few days giving each subject a thorough medical examination. This allowed me to check the health status of each subject, establish a baseline for future experiments, and collect samples.

Magic quickly destabilizes once it leaves the monster body. Still, I was able to run a few chromatography tests on the samples I took. Many different magics go into creating a healthy monster. Chromatography allows me to not only detect the presence of each type of magic, but also determine the ratios between them.

Skeletons are usually dominated by earth magic, and true to this projection, every subject had an earth magic ratio over 90%. This is wonderful news. While the presence of things like fire, electricity, and wind magic is both expected and necessary, earth magic is what gives a skeleton's attacks their strong degree of physicality. I also believe it is what allows us to generate blue gravity fields.

Part of me was worried that the subjects' "untraditional" upbringing would have influenced their magic ratios. So many things can throw them out of balance: physical disturbances, the presence of plant growth, a spike in acidity…

Too much salt.

…

I should…talk about something else.

Somehow, the subjects are split evenly between males and females. The male-female ratio is 6:7 for the 1's and 7:6 for the 2's – a near-equal distribution. This is yet another stroke of good luck, as it should prevent gender differences from significantly influencing my experimental results. Not that gender differences amount to much in skeletons, anyways.

Now that I think about it, I'm not entirely sure why gender differentiation even exists in skeletons. We're a species that reproduces asexually. Why would a gender split need to occur? Does it serve some biological purpose that I'm simply not aware of?

Admittedly, skeletons have very few sexual characteristics. We have none of the usual "equipment". The only differences are in the proportions of the hips, shoulders, and skull. Easy enough for another skeleton to pick up on, I suppose, but I have seen many monsters struggle to tell us apart. At times, it's amusing. At others, irritating.

None of my subjects will have to go through that. At least, not while they remain here with me. When my tests are over, when I open up the doors and let these skeletons enter society…maybe then. But that day is months off.


	23. ENTRY 34

**ENTRY 34**

The week is over. As scheduled, I collected all the surveillance footage of the common hours, and I sat down to skim through it. It felt almost like a break from work. No trendlines, no formal documentation, no hard math and science. This was a time for casual observation.

The subjects spent most of their common hours gabbing away at each other. Having picked up basic language from me, they developed their skills further by communicating with their peers. It was fascinating to watch. Different bone-clicks and gestures would spontaneously arise, spreading like wildfire among the subjects. Over time, such sounds would change, shift, merge, diverge.

My style of speech is extremely physically reserved. I depend heavily on magical expression to communicate. At the start of the week, the subjects spoke similarly. Now, their speech is filled with bone-rattling and wild hand gestures.

Sadly, my cameras are not capable of recording magical expression. There are devices that can, but they are outrageously expensive. I did not anticipate that the subjects would develop language skills so quickly in the few months they would be here. When I designed this lab, I opted to let the king's tax money go towards other things.

If only it were possible to travel back in time and correct that mistake. The subjects' language became impenetrable to me after only a few days. There is almost certainly a rich magical dimension to their conversations, but frustratingly, I am unable to observe it through these tapes.

The subjects don't speak like this during their tests and examinations. Whenever they are around me, their language collapses back into reserved tooth-clicks and minimal gestures. I could bring up their new style of speech with them and ask for demonstrations, but this might alert them to the cameras in the rec room.

I suppose I will just have to live with my curiosity. The subjects' social behaviors, fascinating though they may be, are not what I am officially here to study. I need to characterize their stats, their attacks, their combat skills. Then, perhaps, I can study their language.


	24. ENTRY 35

**ENTRY 35**

There can be no true control case for the experiments I run here. I am the only other skeleton in the underground, and biological records of past skeletons are, as I've lamented before, woefully incomplete. I have no way of knowing if the subjects' conditions and behaviors are strictly "normal".

G1 and H2 are as close to "normal" as I can get. Their incubation chambers used the simplest growth medium out of all the test subjects. Their growth conditions were close to the median of my tested ranges. This has given them an average height and weight. Their HP stats are also average, at least for their respective groups – 35 for G1, 700 for H2. Their behavior appears to be nothing out of the ordinary.

The two of them are essentially twins – their incubation conditions were identical. However, the differences between the LC and UC serums caused the two of them to diverge during maturation. They are now far from identical, but they still have a similar "look" to them. This is the case for all the sets of "twins": A1 and B2, C1 and D2, all the way down to Y1 and Z2.

In lieu of proper control cases, G1 and H2 will be my pseudo-controls. As such, I have concentrated my recent tests on them. What I learn from the two will likely be applicable to the rest of the subjects. In addition to these basic biological tests, I also took the two of them through a lesson in summoning magic attacks. This gave me the chance to gauge the effectiveness of different possible teaching methods.

Most monsters form their attacks during the heat of battle, constructing them to suit the needs of the current situation. For skeletons, the process is a little different. Our attacks persist for a long while after their original creation, sometimes even for months. Rather than creating bones at a moment's notice, we forge an arsenal of them well ahead of time.

This strategy synergizes well with a skeleton's talent for teleportation magic. Outside of battle, we create and maintain a collection of various attacks – mine is under my bed. When we enter a fight, we choose our attacks and teleport them to our current location. The practice is simple enough once one gets used to it, but I understand that the concept is difficult to grasp at first. Hence, my lessons with G1 and H2.

G1's energy and enthusiasm mirror that of a child. Her magic, however, is anything but childlike. She can generate bones of any size with minimal problems. It took her only a few hours to fine-tune her teleportation skills. This was not entirely unexpected – her magic systems are hyperdeveloped. However, this could mean some interesting things about the development of magical control in children. Traditional knowledge states that their lack of control stems from a lack of experience and practice. Perhaps their immature magic systems should shoulder most of the blame instead.

H2, like the rest of the 2's, is much more reserved. More…formal, almost. She has a much longer attention span then G1, and she frustrates less easily. This, I learned, was a very good thing. While H2 appears to possess just as much magical strength as any other monster, she handles it clumsily at best. Her bone attacks are still somewhat lopsided. I can count on one hand the number of times she successfully teleported her intended attack.

It is clear that the 1's and 2's will require different teaching strategies. It could take some of the 2's months to develop the skills that a 1 can master over the course of hours. The 1's, meanwhile, have their own weaknesses and hurdles. If G1's excitable behavior is any indication, the 1's will require a steady stream of new exercises and tactics to prevent them from becoming bored.

They both respond extremely well to positive reinforcement. For G1, the best course of action appears to be short-term feedback and sensory rewards – in other words, frequent and liberal applications of candy and pats on the back. H2 was content with low-key rewards such as verbal praise. I believe she is mostly driven by internal forces. The satisfaction of overcoming a challenge was enough for her.

Tomorrow, I will test some of these teaching methods on a handful of other subjects. While I'm doing basic medical exams and observations, I may as well educate these soldiers on the basics of combat.


	25. ENTRY 36

**ENTRY 36**

After doing the spectergraph scans of A1 through D2, I spent some one-on-one time with each of them to teach them the basics of summoning and teleporting bones. What I discovered was surprising.

Firstly, all four of them were already familiar with the general process. A1 and C1 had even created a few bone attacks prior, and they were proud to show them off to me. B2 and D2, while they still fumble with their magic attacks, picked up on the nuances much more quickly than N2. I questioned all four of these subjects, and it seems that they spent most of the last rec period practicing magic attacks.

I honestly should have expected this to happen. I'd just taught two young skeletons something new and interesting about their magic. Who wouldn't have wanted to show it off to their friends? Once the other subjects had seen it, they would have been curious. They would have asked questions, tried to figure out how to do it themselves.

I know as well as the next scientist how intoxicating the act of teaching can be. When a student finally makes those last few connections, when they finally understand, an indescribable gleam lights up their eyes. One glance at that, and G1 and H2 would have been hooked. They would have started teaching everyone they could get their hands on.

Perhaps I've been worrying too much about education techniques and learning curves. I don't need to teach every little technique to every single subject. Instead, I can hand-pick a few subjects, teach them what they need to know, and instruct them to pass their knowledge onto the rest.

I already have a few subjects in mind for this task. S1 is the obvious choice. A1 would also make a good instructor – she has a particularly strong mastery over her magic, even for a 1. I should also probably include a 2 in this group…N2, perhaps. In addition to being fairly quick on the uptake, he is one of the most patient, even-keeled monsters I have ever seen. Many instructors could stand to learn from his example.

Before I put any if this into motion, I'll need to consult those three subjects to be sure they're up to the task. If they don't want to be a teacher, then I certainly won't make them. There are few things in this world more frustrating than a teacher who does not want to do their job.

Of course, This will all have to wait until after the weekend. I have too much work to do in preparation for the SPEED tests.


	26. ENTRY NUMBER 8

**ENTRY NUMBER 8**

I have taken to perusing some of my old puzzle books for entertainment while I wait for the effects of my latest serum to wear off.  I remember many of the solutions, which is disappointing.  However, when looking back on one of my old favorites, something seemed a little…off.

Let me transcribe it:

Along one street, there is a row of five curious houses, each numbered 1 through 5.  Inside each of these houses lives a skeleton.

Each skeleton has a different name: Broadway, Verdana, Georgia, Miriam, and Rockwell

Each skeleton also hails from a different place: Home, Snowdin, Waterfall, Hotland, and New Home.

They drink different beverages: milk, tea, coffee, soda, and ketchup.

They also use different colors of magic: blue, green, yellow, purple, and red

Finally, each skeleton has a secret prized possession hidden away in their house: a picture, a scarf, a coin, a figurine, and a key.

YOU NEED THE KEY.

Unfortunately, you only have time to investigate one house to find it.  Your sleuthing has uncovered the following clues, however, so it is possible to determine which house you need to search.

1\. The skeleton from Home specializes in green magic.

2\. The skeleton from Snowdin drinks ketchup.

3\. The skeleton who uses yellow magic drinks coffee.

4\. Verdana uses purple magic.

5\. The skeleton from Hotland lives in the first house.

6\. The skeleton with the picture lives next to Verdana.

7\. Rockwell hails from Waterfall.

8\. Miriam lives next to the skeleton who drinks soda.

9\. The skeleton from Hotland lives next to the one who uses blue magic.

10\. Georgia drinks milk.

11\. Mariam lives next to the skeleton with the figurine.

12\. The skeleton living in the center house drinks tea.

13\. Broadway’s prized possession is the coin.

14\. The skeleton who uses yellow magic lives immediately to the left of the one who uses red.

15\. The scarf belongs to the skeleton from New Home.

When you find what you’re looking for, write down the number of the house it is in.  It will be important later.


	27. ENTRY 37

**ENTRY 37**

Another observation session for the subjects' common room behavior. As I predicted, after I taught G1 and H2 about magic attacks, they spent the next rec time demonstrating for the rest of the subjects. Part of me was concerned that, with all of those attacks flying around, someone would have gotten hurt. Thankfully, this was not the case.

However, I noticed something very interesting about the social structure of the subjects this week. I'm almost appalled by the fact that I did not notice it last week.

The subjects are partnering up.

Not romantically or sexually, I mean. Skeletons reproduce asexually, so I doubt there is a biological mechanism that allows us to feel such things and form such bonds. No, the subjects must be pairing off for other reasons. Friendship? Social stability?

There doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason to which subjects pair up with whom. However, there is one common trend – all pairs consist of exactly one 1 and exactly one 2. No 1's pairing up with 1's, no 2's pairing up with 2's. What biological mechanism could possibly drive such behavior? Why would such a behavior evolve in the first place? I do not even know where to begin finding the answers to these questions.

It's exciting.

For future reference, I will include a list of current partners in the log transcript. The status of these partnerships will likely change in the future. In fact, I expect it to, as many of the 1's and 2's are still partnerless. Also, I am unsure if any of the pairs will "break up", so to speak. To report on such shifts in the social structure, I will include a list of partnerships in the subject listings, and I will update it as my studies continue.

The current partnerships are as follows:

I1-J2

K1-R2

M1-D2

Q1-V2

S1-P2

U1-B2

W1-L2

Now that I think about it, this partnering behavior could be an optimal solution to one of my problems. 1's are powerful, but their fragility means that they will need to be closely guarded. Who better to do this than a 2? They are built like tanks, and they can hold their own on the battlefield. Of course, 2's are not capable of the wide-scale combat and destructive power needed to pose a threat to humanity. This is where the 1's would come in.

Dispatching skeleton soldiers in such pairs could do a lot to mitigate the weaknesses of each group. I can see it now - a legion of 1's launching attack after attack into the surging masses of human soldiers. A horde of 2's dedicatedly fighting off anyone who makes it through the hail of death. What human army could repel such a force? Magic harms the soul directly. It is not deterred by steel plating or bulletproof vests.

It almost makes me feel sorry for the humans. Almost. Though I admire humans for their curiosity and dedication to discovery, they have some misdeeds to pay for. The monsters started the war, yes, but the genocide that resulted? The centuries spent trapped underground? We did nothing to deserve this.

The humans, on the other hand, will certainly deserve the war that will befall them if they refuse to let us leave this mountain peacefully.


	28. ENTRY 38

**ENTRY 38**

These past few days were mostly more of the same: medical exams, spectergraph scans, and magic samples. However, as planned, I set aside some time to talk with S1, A1, and N2. I explained my plans to turn each of them into my "secondary instructors." Independently, they all volunteered to participate.

I later brought the three of them together for a lesson. First, I polished their attack-summoning techniques, and then I took them through a handful of other useful topics. Fighting stances, dodging, things of that nature. At the end, we had some time left over, so I gave A1 and N2 a beginner's reading lesson.

Their rapid mental development has tapered off over the course of the past few weeks. Even S1's blistering learning pace has slowed. Still, they are much quicker studies than the average monster. Their reading skills are coming along nicely. They should also be ready to fight training dummies soon.

Though, I'm a little disappointed that A1 and N2 had never even picked up a book before today. I thought S1 would have gone the route of G1 and H2 and spread his reading skill to the rest of the subjects. After the end of my lessons, I pulled S1 aside and asked him why he hadn't done so.

S1 has a certain…swagger to him. He tried to downplay the issue, tried to play things cool. He made a few remarks about how he didn't want to make the other subjects "feel bad" about being less smart than him. He also mentioned something about not wanting to seem like my "favorite." Let it be known that S1 is not a particularly good liar. At least, he hasn't yet had the time to master the nuances.

His HP is average for a 1. His magic is strong, but it is nothing compared to A1's or Y1's. Though his physical coordination has been improving slowly and steadily, it is still a fair bit less refined than that of the other subjects. On a surface level, aside from his intelligence, he is nothing more than average.

Still, he brags whenever he can about whatever he can. He does it subtly, weaving it into his humorous demeanor. Now that I am reexamining this behavior, it seems almost as if…

What if he really did see himself as nothing more than "average?" What if, in his mind, his intelligence is all he has? His reading ability makes him special. If he passes it on to the other subjects, then it no longer belongs to him. He might have become a secondary instructor in order to be the first step in this relay of knowledge, the first subject to learn anything new. And, as a teacher, he can control the flow of information to some extent. He can ensure that he remains the most intelligent of all the subjects.

I doubt that most of this reasoning is conscious on his part. Still, how can I possibly convince him of his exceptionality? These kinds of self-worth issues can't be solved by a simple pep-talk. If only there was a way to show him how I see him, to make him step outside of his usual viewpoint and…

Hmm. I think I may have a solution to this problem.


	29. ENTRY 39

**ENTRY 39**

Yesterday, I was a little hesitant about my plan. Now that I have the luxury of hindsight, I am very glad to have done what I did.

All of the subjects are now adept at creating and teleporting bones, so I had each of them perform these actions in front of a spectergraph. Once I analyze the results, I will likely make some revolutionary discoveries about the magical systems of skeletons. However, that is not what I'm here to talk about.

After these tests, I took S1, A1, and N2 aside to give them more self-defense training and another reading lesson. I brought in an "empty" training dummy for them to practice on. I'm not here to talk about that, either.

When I was finished with the lessons, it was almost time for common hours. I allowed N2 and A1 to leave for the rec room. However, I asked S1 if he would be alright missing the first half of this rec period, as I had something very important to show him.

He told me that he was up for anything so long as he got an interesting story out of it. Here, I had to inform him that I would be showing him classified information. He couldn't relay a single word about it to any of his fellow subjects. There would be no stories. This made him hesitate, but he still told me he wanted to see whatever I had to show him.

I took him through the back hallways. He looked curious, but he didn't make a sound until I led him into the security room. His eyes went wide at the sight of all the monitors. Right in the center of the army of screens was a live feed of the rec room. At that moment, it showed all of the subjects trickling in at the start of the common hours.

I explained to him the purpose of this monitoring equipment – for security purposes, and also to observe the behavior of the subjects in a non-judgmental environment. At first, he seemed a little uncomfortable with the idea, but he soon became accustomed to it. I reminded him of his promise not to let anyone know about this, and he seemed perfectly fine with keeping it a secret.

We soon began to observe the happenings of the common room together. A1 and N2 started a reading lesson with the other subjects, and I couldn't help but notice that N2 spent quite a bit of time working with E1. I pointed this out to S1, and he told me that the two of them had become partners a few days prior. I had suspected as much.

I asked him why the two of them had chosen to pair up like this. He gave me a strange look, as if I was asking him why monsters used magic. I redefined the question – why had N2 chosen to partner with E1 out of all the subjects here? For that matter, why had E1 chosen N2?

He struggled to find the right words. He told me that E1 was a very witty skeleton, and she respected intelligence and confidence. Since becoming an instructor, N2 has been given a chance to display both of these qualities. N2 and E1 also both possess personalities that are "mellow" for their respective types. They can both relax around each other.

The explanation he used was far more nuanced and detailed than what I have just now said. I do not have the time to get into specifics at the moment. Regardless, it seemed important that each member of a partnership should make the other feel "safer".

I then asked S1 why he himself had chosen P2 as a partner. B2, with all his power and bulk, would have done a much better job at keeping him safe. Z2 is most skilled 2 from a magical standpoint. P2, aside from his partnership with S1, is completely average.

As expected, this infuriated S1. He went on an incredibly long-winded rant. He even devolved into his bone-rattling language a few times, which was interesting to behold. He clearly possesses a strong sense of familial attachment to that particular skeleton. To him, it does not matter that P2 is average physically, magically, and mentally. P2 is courageous and kind, compassionate to everyone he sees. How dare I judge him on something like physical or magical strength?

I response to that question, I asked S1 another in turn – if I was wrong to judge P2 on such superficial aspects, then what made it alright for S1 to judge himself in that way?

That question struck S1 silent. It seemed that my theory of his faltering self-confidence proved depressingly true. He spent a few moments desperately trying to collect himself, and then he weakly asked me to take him back to the common room.

Today's plan went without a single hitch. I feel like some real progress was made, though I have yet to see if it will stick.

Yesterday, I wasn't sure if revealing the cameras to S1 would have been worth the risk. However, now that it is all said and done, I'm strangely…comforted? Having a sort of "confidant" for this operation is bit of a relief. It's as if I have someone else to share my burdens with.

It's unfortunate that I can't share many of my other burdens with S1. Not unless he suddenly gains the equivalent of a college education, becomes my protégé, and begins assisting me in my research work.

Although…


	30. ENTRY 40

**ENTRY 40**

Magic is not very effective at damaging physical matter. This why most training dummies are made from the physical cloth that occasionally drops down from the human world above. When a ghost inhabits the dummy, their job is to provide feedback – how hard each attack hits, whether ATK is consistent throughout the entire round, and so forth. A good training ghost will also attempt to rile up or encourage their trainee during the workout. There was no need for any of these functions during my tests, so I opted to let the subjects practice on an "empty" dummy instead.

All of the subjects have had at least one practice session with the empty dummy. They all seemed to have some fun with it, which is something I find encouraging. The idea of soldiers who enjoy war is…worrying, but a soldier who outright dislikes combat is not favorable, either.

I taught S1 and A1 how to generate blue gravity fields, and they've gone on to teach many of the other 1's. However, the technique proved a little too difficult for N2. Even when he could start a field going, it was faint and flickering, and it quickly slipped through his grasp. He didn't seem too bothered by it. However, none of the other 2's were able to get the hang of it, either.

From what I understand, this has made a few of the subjects uncomfortable. The skill gap between the 1's and the 2's was already obvious, but this up until this point, it was simply a matter of scale. A 2 could create a bone, a 1 could create a larger one. 2's can teleport their attacks, but 1's can do it more reliably. Gravity fields were first technique the proved completely inaccessible to the 2's.

Even fully grown skeletons with fully developed magic systems sometimes have trouble with blue fields. It only makes sense that the 2's would have so much trouble. I have tried reassuring some them – in a few months, their magic systems will finish maturing, and gravity fields will become much easier.

At least, I hope that is how things will turn out. I have been taking careful measurements of the subjects' lay lines for weeks, and there has been no measurable change in any of the 2's magic systems since they awoke. For the 1's, physical development stalled out before any of them could properly mature. It is possible that the same is happening to the 2's, but regarding their magic instead?

Hrm.

In other news, all these lessons and training dummy sessions have slowed the speed of my biological research. Somehow, I am not particularly bothered by this. These subjects are meant to be soldiers, and seeing them in action has given me some new ideas for future studies.

I've reworked my testing schedule so that each subject will have at least one training dummy session a week. Overall, this will eventually set me back by months, but I am in no particular rush. The king only possesses five human souls. Two more will need to fall before war preparations can begin.


	31. ENTRY 41

**ENTRY 41**

A great deal of progress has been made. In fact, so many good things have been happening that I have neglected to record logs on a regular basis.

Lay lines are very simple in their structure. Alone, they are only capable of transporting and directing magic around the monster body. In response to these discoveries, I theorized the existence of magical "nodes" – knots in the lay line system with tangled, complicated structures. These nodes would be responsible for governing complex magical tasks. Such tasks could include summoning attacks, managing output from the soul, and even creating thoughts and emotions.

By conducting studies on myself over the years, I collected enough evidence to support the existence of magical nodes. Now that I have studied them in my subjects as well, I finally have the data to do make something useful of my knowledge. Discovering the existence of a structure does nothing more than satisfy my curiosity. Discovering how it works, on the other hand, opens many, many doors.

Most of a skeleton's nodes are located inside the skull. This makes sense, as this is where our souls reside. These skull-nodes make up the central control unit for our bodies and provide the driving force for our magic flow. They form a combination of the "brain" and the "heart", so to speak. The skull contains every structure that is required for consciousness.

Now that I am thinking about it, it should be possible for a skeleton to survive a significant amount of time with only their skull. Due to the amount of lay lines that would need to be severed in order to remove the head from the body, this would be a rather short-lived affair in practice. Still, it is an interesting concept to toy with.

There are also nodes inside a skeleton's hands, and they have a strong connection to summoning, teleporting, and directing attacks. I have heard stories of once-powerful monsters who, having lost hands or even entire arms during the war, seemed to lose most of their battle prowess in the process. Skeletons might not be the only monsters whose hand-nodes govern their attacks.

I already knew that there were large nodes in my feet, but until recently, I did not know their purpose. Now that I have more data with which to establish patterns, I think I may have an answer: the foot nodes appear capable of drawing earth magic up from the ground and into the body. This would explain why skeletons can survive on so little sustenance. Food may provide variant magics that skeletons require in trace amounts for long-term health, but as for the earth magic, the core component of our bodies, we can simply absorb it from the ground as we walk. As long as we retain some connection to the earth, either through a floor or the structure of a well-made building, we can persist.

There are also some minor nodes in the sternum and spine, but I don't believe these have much function outside of maintaining homeostasis. The loss of any one of them would likely imbalance the system and cause the victim to die within a few minutes, but they are not as critical as those I have previously discussed.

If given a few more months of these kinds of studies, I could completely revolutionize the way we view the monster body. Unfortunately, I am nearing the end of my basic biological survey of the subjects. After these final examinations, I will go on to test the subjects' combat stats. These are what is ultimately important for designing the king's army. It would be unfair of me to delay that research for much longer.

Besides, it seems a little unwise to continue studying skeletons at the exclusion of all else. After my skeletal studies are completed, perhaps I can look at volunteers from the general populous. I would like to focus my studies on those whose magic systems are damaged or dysfunctional. What better way to determine the function of something then to see what happens when it does not function?

In other news, I have discussed some of my recent biological discoveries with S1. I could not help myself – he learns so quickly, and he is quite interested in the workings of the world around him. He would make a fantastic scientist with the right education.

The vast majority of the subjects have acquired basic reading skills. Some of them have begun looking through the books during the common hours. Their combat training is progressing nicely – they are each beginning to develop their own favored attack patterns, and none of them have fallen too far behind. Things could not be going more perfectly.

The threat of KARMA lingers in the back of my mind, but I refuse to let it ruin my good mood. This is one of the few times in my considerably long life when I have felt completely at ease. I have put in an enormous amount of work to reach this point, and for once, I will allow myself to enjoy my fortune.


	32. ENTRY 42

**ENTRY 42**

It has taken weeks to get this far, but I can deny it no longer: we are approaching the point where practicing on training dummies will no longer be a viable option. There are only so many tactics that can be applied to an unmoving, unresponsive target. The test subjects are becoming bored, as am I.

Tomorrow, I will have the subjects spar against each other instead.

Sparring partners have been assigned at random. Some 1's will fight other 1's, some 2's will fight 2's, and some 1's and 2's will fight each other. I predict some matches to be ridiculously one-sided; B2 versus T2, for instance. Others will be a much closer match, like C1 versus N2. Random chance has also pitted two partners against each other – S1 and P2. It will be interesting to see how the two behave.

I spent most of this evening in the rec room, folding up tables and stacking chairs. I cleared as much space as I could. Then, I moved in about a dozen training mats. I will call all the subjects down to rec time a few hours early tomorrow. Once they arrive, I will set up each subject with their assigned partner let them have at it. I will not be able to monitor every fight at once, but that is exactly why I have chosen to set this up in the common room. It has the best camera coverage of the entire facility.

Though the 1's have brittle defenses, their HP isn't irredeemably low. They should each be able to survive one good attack without severe injury. I will instruct the subjects to immediately stop their match if this occurs. They will call me over, and I will administer a healing spell to the injured subject, allowing them to continue fighting without fear of irreversible damage.

After I am done with all the stat characterization tests, perhaps I can arrange for some members of the Royal Guard to come in and give my subjects proper combat training. I know how to defend myself, but I am far from an expert on the high-level techniques. Once the subjects become more competent at realistic battle scenarios, I could test some promising technologies relevant to the war effort. Armor designs for the 1's, for instance.

The subjects are excited to try their hand at fighting each other. Then again, none of them know what it's like to be hit by an attack. We will see if their enthusiasm persists after their first real chance at combat.


	33. ENTRY 43

**ENTRY 43**

I have made a serious error.

I didn't take into account that many of the subjects would be unwilling to fight each other. A handful of the sparing matches gave me useful information. Others were nothing but two skeletons half-heartedly lobbing bones across the room. This likely had the effect of dropping the DEF of the 2's to dangerous levels. The 1's defenses were already nerve-wracking to begin with.

The 2's are magical klutzes, but at least their magic is comparatively tame. They aren't capable of the kind of destruction that would put several others in danger. I never thought a 1 would have…

Too many matches were happening at once. I could not monitor all of them, could not help everyone, and it all happened so quickly, I…

…

I do not know what caused A1 to lose control of her magic. Perhaps an attack flew too close and it frightened her. A1 usually has fantastic control, but she is just as susceptible to fear as any other monster. Magic attacks are, at their very core, an expression of emotion. They are our self-defense processes, mechanisms tuned to our survival instincts.

What confuses me is why A1's magic manifested the way that it did. I did not think skeletons could form such constructs: gnarled jaws, haunting eyes, maw elongated like the barrel of a cannon. This attack must have had a very deep connection to A1's soul, for she was somehow able to channel additional magic through it. A very large amount of additional magic.

The blast swept across the room, interrupting the sparring matches. Many of the subjects never saw what happened. It struck before they even had the chance to turn around. I myself was only inches away from being caught in the blast. It reminded me of that human bomb so many years ago – all light and sound, overwhelming in its intensity. When it was gone, the universe seemed to hold its breath for a moment.

Many subjects were injured. I saw to them as best I could, but in most cases, there was only so much I could do. Their damaged lay lines leaked magic as quickly as I could pour it into them. The subjects, no matter how hopeless their cases might have been, clung to life as best they could. Unfortunately, the scent of smoke gradually gave way to the numbing tang of…

I could not be everywhere. There were so many, there was only so much magic I could give, and…and…

…

I lost eight subjects in the span of a single hour. I should be horrified. But, this has all happened so fast, I just feel…numb.

I…I can fix this. I can learn from this. I can draw sound conclusions, and then I can use said conclusions to prevent an error of this magnitude from happening ever again.

All combat training will stop until further notice. Even if I saw reason to let the subjects spar again – and it would have to be a very good reason – I will only allow 2's to participate. Six of my eight deaths were 1's. 2's, with their high HP and magical limitations, are the only ones who can conduct themselves safely.

But…I suppose, that being said, two 2's still perished. And those 2's who did survive, many of them did not leave unscathed. Almost a third of my subjects are gone. Half of the 1's are gone. All those friends, all those social partners, vanished over the course of a single day. I cannot imagine what this must have done to the subjects' mental states.

Seven have been forced to endure the loss of their partner. All of them are distraught, though I have hope that all of them will recover. Monsters can move past the deaths of family members with enough time and support. But P2…dear Lord, he's nearly unresponsive. And S1…

S1 was the best and brightest of all of them. I had such high hopes for him. His magical prowess, his intelligence, his sense of humor, his…

…

I will give my subjects a few days to recover. In fact, I myself need some time to recover.


	34. ENTRY 44

**ENTRY 44**

An idea struck me in the night. I wanted to wait until the morning to talk about it, but I couldn't. This idea simply won't let me go. I have to do something about it, it's inevitable, I just…

I'm still numb from the events of a few days ago. It's natural to feel this way – the detachment is a psychological coping mechanism, something to keep the guilt from utterly crushing me as I try to fix the problem. But, if I was up to feeling anything at the moment, I know exactly what kind of emotions would set in. Besides the obvious guilt, horror, and depression, I would be missing S1. I would be missing him dearly.

I still have the data regarding his creation. I know the exact recipe for creating his body. And as for his mind, I collected the dust of every deceased subject after the others were sent back to their rooms. There is some evidence to suggest that the residue a monster leaves behind after death contains their "essence" in some way. It would be simple to fetch his dust, fire up one of the incubation chambers, remove one of my six remaining teeth, and…

But, no. I need to save my teeth for the first generation of the king's soldiers. I can't waste such a precious resource for something so frivolous. Beyond that, what kind of hypocrite would that make me? To resurrect S1, yet leave the rest of the dead as they are?

…

Some researchers would say that the number one rule is "do not get attached." I disagree. Our attachments, our ability to empathize, is what makes us monsters. Otherwise, we would be nothing more than self-sustaining collections of magical phenomena. These skeletons are my test subjects, yes, but they are also my children. My attachment to them is inevitable.

Beyond that, I fear what would happen if I were to stop empathizing, if I were stop being attached. I should feel horrible for mistakes like this. My terrible mood should not be limited to hatred at my own incompetence. It is alright to feel crushing guilt for my misdeeds, I should…

…

I should go back to sleep.


	35. ENTRY 45

**ENTRY 45**

All of the injured subjects have healed back to full capacity. Physically, at least. Socially, I doubt that they will ever recover.

There are only eighteen subjects remaining: seven 1's and eleven 2's. Some of these 2's have already moved past the death of their old partners and found new ones. A week ago, five of the 1's were partnerless. Now, there is only one. I should note that this still leaves five 2's without partners, including P2.

For the record, A1's sparring accident occurred shortly after she became injured in her match against I1. She cried out for my help, but when I turned my head to see who had called, all I saw was her cannon attack. Later, I reviewed the tapes of the match, and I discovered the full story.

At that point, A1's match had stopped. However, a bone attack from a nearby fight went wide and nicked her. It was…F2 and N2's match, I believe. It's a miracle A1 survived without permanent injury. To be struck down by another 1, only for an attack from an unknown source to give her an even closer brush with death… Her "cannon" attack was a direct result of the terror she felt in that moment.

Let it be known that desperation for survival is a powerful force indeed. Unfortunately, I doubt it could be harnessed for anything productive. Not without harming innocent monsters in the process, at least.

Looking into other matters, I realize that P2's situation requires some clarification. S1 was his social partner up until very recently. They seemed happy together, but random chance placed the two of them in a sparring match against each other. Curious to see what would happen, I did nothing to redistribute them. This was an enormous mistake on my part.

Most of their matches devolved into the "half-hearted bone-lobbing" I mentioned earlier. Then, A1's blast swept through the area. S1 noticed the attack just in time to duck below it. He kept a level head and a tight hold over his magic. P2, unfortunately, was facing the wrong direction. He was practically unaware of the beam up until it grazed him. Terrified as he was, had no hope of controlling his underdeveloped magic system.

S1 is…was, fragile. He hadn't been expecting an attack to come from his closest friend. One bone was all it took.

This event was lost in the chaos. I only became aware of it when I looked back on the rec room tapes. Regardless, there can be no mistake: A1's magic was not directly responsible for S1's death. I don't believe any of the other subjects know. Considering the injury P2 sustained, all of them must believe S1 perished in the blast. Looking at P2's unique behavior, however, it is likely that he knows the truth.

P2 has been taking all of this remarkably well, all things considered. His near-catatonic state took a complete U-turn a few days after the incident. He now spends his common hours enthusiastically socializing with the other subjects. Perhaps this is a coping mechanism, trying to make up for his lost partner with his other social bonds. Or, this could be his way of looking for a new partner. Either way, he should calm down once he finds someone else.

If he finds someone else, that is. I don't think any of the subjects can fill the void S1 left behind. Additionally, there is only unpartnered 1 left, and there are several other lone 2's competing for companionship.


	36. ENTRY 46

**ENTRY 46**

All "lessons" were canceled until further notice. S1 is gone. N2 is gone. A1 is the only instructor remaining, and for obvious reasons, she will no longer make a good teacher. All of the subjects despise her for the death she's caused. It's a miracle she's found herself a partner – I doubted any subject would feel "safe" with her close by.

I do not know why I bothered teaching any of them how to fight. They will not be participating in the war. The true soldiers will be grown from my six remaining teeth. None of these subjects ever needed to practice their attacks. None of them ever needed to die.

Ever since the sparring accident, the common hours have been much quieter. Not only are a third of the subjects gone, but those remaining seem less inclined to talk. It's as if a shadow has fallen over them. This has been their first encounter with the concept of death, and it has left a scar on all of them.

…

It's…wrong to keep them all trapped down here. It has to be. My studies are essential to the safety and well-being of the populous, but that is my only justification. It does not permit me to keep these monsters here any longer than is absolutely necessary.

But was it wrong of me to delay their freedom by teaching them how to read, how to communicate, how to defend themselves? Was it wrong to try to bring some measure of joy into their lives? Look at where my efforts have gotten me: eight dead skeletons and not a spark of joy to be found.

…

I've abandoned all of my previous distractions: the teaching, the training, the side-tests to satisfy my own curiosity. This has allowed me to finally complete the biological surveys. I no longer need to put the subjects through spectergraph scans or take magic samples. We can move onto the extensive, arduous stat tests.

I narrowed my efforts down to four critical stats: HP, ATK, DEF, and SPEED. Since any monster can determine any other monster's HP with a simple CHECK, I only need to run tests on the three remaining stats. However, I must run enough trials to ensure accurate data. Each phase of testing could take months.

I will begin without delay. It is fitting that I will start with the SPEED tests.


	37. ENTRY NUMBER 9

**ENTRY NUMBER 9**

COMBINING WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE PREVIOUS TWO PUZZLES WOULD BE RATHER HELPFUL, I THINK.

OH, I DO SO LOVE PUZZLES, EVEN IN THE WAKE OF TRAGEDY AND DEATH.


	38. ENTRY NUMBER 10

**ENTRY NUMBER 10**

XLI JEPPIR GLMPH, XLI IQTXC LSQIW,

XLI TEMR XLEX GSYVWIW XLVSYKL QC FSRIW,

ER EVQC'W GVC, E FVSXLIV'W XIEVW,

SYV TVMWSR JSV SRI XLSYWERH CIEVW,

XLI PIKIRHW XSPH MR LYQER PERHW,

XLI HYWX XLEX GSEXW QC IEKIV LERHW,

XLI WXVSRK IQSXMSRW M QEC JIIP,

LSA WEH XS PIEVR XLIC EVI RSX VIEP.


	39. ENTRY NUMBER 11

**ENTRY NUMBER 11**

E XSC, E ASVH, E WSRK, E VSEH,

E YRMZIVWI, EPP FYMPX FC GSHI.

HSIW KSSH SV IZMP QEXXIV LIVI?

SV WEHRIWW, ERKIV, ASVVC, JIEV?

E TIVWSR XLEX HSIW RSX IBMWX,

GERRSX FI OMPPIH, XLSYKL M TIVWMWX.

M QEHI QC GLSMGI; QC JEXI, M'PP QIIX.

QC QMWWMSR WSSR AMPP FI GSQTPIXI.


	40. ENTRY NUMBER 12

**ENTRY NUMBER 12**

IZIVCXLMRK MW WS GPIEV.

GPIEV, GPIEVIV, CIX GPIEVIV.

XLSYKL M QEC JIIP TEMR,

SV XIVVSV,

SV LEXVIH,

SV KYMPX,

GER MX VIEPPC QEXXIV?

GER MX VIEPPC WXST QI?

EPP XLI ASVPH'W E WXEKI,

ERH M EQ QIVIPC E LYQFPI WMHI GLEVEGXIV.

WS JEV XS XLI WMHI,

XLEX M EQ SJJWGVIIR.

EPQSWX IRXMVIPC SJJ VIGSVH.

QSWX AMPP RIZIV IZIR WII QI.

QSWX ALS WII QI AMPP RSX VIQIQFIV.

QSWX ALS VIQIQFIV AMPP RSX GEVI.

MX'W EPP WS…

TSMRXPIWW.


	41. ENTRY 47

**ENTRY 47**

I am so tired.

The subjects are tired, too. Many different tests are needed to properly characterize the SPEED equations: reaction times, bodily coordination, running speed. I need to account for every variable that describes the slow-twitch and fast-twitch movements of their bodies. Once I have this data, the right calculations can whittle the information down to a handful of numbers, and then to a final SPEED stat.

To get this diverse range of data, I have needed to run a plethora of different tests. Once upon a time, the subjects had fun in this environment of constantly-changing standards. That time has long since passed.

It does not matter if anyone is having fun. What iss important is that all of these tests are safe. Everything is progressing ahead of schedule, and I intend to keep it that way. I do not like wasting time.

Why, then, am I making another log?! There is nothing special to report! I haven't even begun calculating the final SPEED scores. I should turn off the mic and return to my equations. It is my responsibility to get this work done as soon as possible.

But…!

…

Well. If I can't help but talk, I might as well talk about something important.

Many years ago, before I became the Royal Scientist, before I became the Royal Scientist's apprentice, I was a healer. Skeletons are notoriously bad at anything that does not involve earth magic, yet I have always had a knack for the healing arts. It likely has something to do with my unusual upbringing, but I digress.

I started down my path of scientific discovery about three hundred years after the end of war. At this point, monster magic fully saturated the underground caverns. This had the effect of warping the natural life that grew here. Suddenly, pine trees sprouted without sunlight. Mushrooms glowed. Flowers echoed words back to nearby speakers. Many of the subterranean plants evolved magical structures in place of physical ones, and they became new food sources for the monster population.

Unfortunately, many of these new plants were incredibly poisonous. Exacerbating this problem was that monsterkind was going through a…rather difficult period. Some poor citizens were desperate enough to eat whatever they came across. Most of the poisonous plants were nearly indistinguishable from their edible relatives. Countless monsters became violently ill for what appeared to be no logical reason.

At the time, I enjoyed healing people, but a new desire was beginning to take root – the desire to keep people healthy. As I visited sick monsters and treated them, I started taking notes on their conditions. I looked into possible reasons for their illness, and this was how I discovered which particular species of magical plants were to blame. I quickly catalogued every harmful plant I came across. My work has likely saved thousands of lives over the course of the centuries.

However, I couldn't ignore my growing curiosity. Was there anything in common between these poisonous plants? If a new kind of mushroom spontaneously developed, was there any way to tell if it was safe to eat beforehand? Unfortunately, my patients were not interested in my investigations, only my healing services. They thought I was worrying too much. For a while, they convinced me that my curiosity was unimportant.

That all ended when the first human fell into the underground.

It had been centuries since humans and monsters had seen each other. Asgore and his wife hadn't the foggiest idea of how to care for a human child. Floundering for help, they consulted every scholar and specialist they could get ahold of. The king, having heard of my work in helping poisoned monsters, asked me to protect his new child from a similar fate.

As the king and queen gained experience, they stopped calling on their many consultants. Yet, they sent me royal summonses on an increasingly regular basis. I learned how to treat bleeding wounds. I discovered the importance of citrus fruits to a human's long-term health. It wasn't long before I became the human's personal doctor.

Then, the human became violently ill for what appeared to be no logical reason.

I immediately suspected that poison was involved. Sickness rarely struck so quickly and with such ferocity. However, the human claimed they hadn't eaten anything unusual for the past couple of days, just food cooked for them by their family. After the buttercup scare with the king, I knew Toriel would have been extremely careful with her baking ingredients. I was forced to accept defeat – I did not know what had caused the human to fall ill, and as such, I did not know how to cure them.

The child died. Their brother absorbed their soul. Asriel left for the surface, and by the time I heard of his return, he had already succumbed to his wounds.

I did not spend the days following in a state of quiet mourning, as most monsters did. Make no mistake, the human's death still bothered me, but it felt very much like a personal failure on my part. I was never the kind of person who tolerated failure. I could not rest until I found a solution to this insufferable puzzle.

Eventually, a thought occurred to me: were humans and monsters truly that different? We both had souls. We could both get sick. Were there any illnesses or poisons that gave monsters symptoms similar to what the human had displayed?

…Well. There were a few species of magical plants that caused that kind of blistering and breathing trouble. Once I made the connection, the rest of the pieces fell into place.

Doctor Ooblook soon paid me a visit. The two of us had become casual friends during my visits to the castle. He had not seen me for a few days, so he'd decided to stop by and check on me. I could barely find the words to tell him of my recent discovery. Admittedly, I was probably in a state of shock at the time.

He spent the whole night calming me down and discussing what I had learned. Before dawn, the two of us came to an important decision: no one else could know. Asgore, certainly, could not know. He, along with the rest of the kingdom, was wracked with despair. How much would it destroy him to know that his child was a murderer?

When Ooblook fell d…passed on, he took the secret with him. Now, I am the only one alive who knows of Asriel's treachery. Being a Royal Scientist isn't just about discovering new information. I must decide what information needs to be shared and what is better off being kept hidden.

…

Is it midnight already? How long have I been…?

Ugh, I need to get back to work.


	42. ENTRY 48

**ENTRY 48**

I expected progress to be much slower than this.  It seems that SPEED is a rather simple variable to characterize.  Unlike ATK and DEF, there are few outside forces that can influence it over the course of a battle.  I still require a week or so of testing and calculations to finish off the SPEED experiments, but I’ve reached a point where I can begin looking at trends.

The subjects that were given only minimal seraphin supplements during incubation – A1 through D2 – have SPEEDs much higher than that of the average monster.  SPEED decreased as provided seraphin levels increased, leveling off at higher concentrations.  The amount of seraphin I provided for each subject roughly corresponds to their place in the alphabet, so subjects near the end – like Z2 and V2 – have a SPEED comparable to my own.

This discovery is nothing particularly special.  This is what my models predicted – as seraphin increases, ATK and DEF should increase, but at the expense of SPEED.  There is likely an optimal trade-off point somewhere in the middle of the alphabet.

Looking at data and analyzing trends are important.  However, other matters have drawn my attention, and I feel that they deserve discussion.

The subjects’ social situation has subtly shifted over the course of the SPEED tests.  The veil of depression gradually lifted, and the subjects once again showed signs of a healthy, contented emotional state.  This recovery occurred with little involvement on my part. It’s comforting to know that the subjects are fully capable of handling their own problems.

None of the six partnerships have changed since the end of the biological surveys.  No one “broke up” or redistributed.  A slight majority of the 2’s are happily partnered off, and they remain practically glued to their partnered 1 throughout the common periods. However, a significant portion of the 2’s are unpaired.  Three of them – B2, T2, and V2 – have formed a tight-knit group of their own.  I am unsure if the friendship they share is in any way related to the partnerships demonstrated by the other subjects.

B2, T2, and V2 seem to have elevated themselves to a leadership position.  The other subjects act…afraid of them, almost.  I still do not have a firm grasp of the subjects’ language, but their body language alone tells me that this “trio” is quite aggressive. When they make demands, the other subjects usually comply.

It would not surprise me if physical threats are a part of this equation.  The 1’s are fragile – any violence could result in serious injury. Coercing a 2 would be a simple matter of threatening their partnered 1.  As for the remaining unpartnered 2’s – L2 and P2 – physical threats do not seem to be necessary.  P2 is usually happy to inconvenience himself for the sake of others, and L2 has never been the most assertive of people.  

I have not yet seen any reason to intervene.  Becoming involved might make matters deteriorate, and it would take away valuable time and energy I could be using to finish the stat tests.  My goal is to get these subjects out of here as soon as possible. Also, the subjects seem to be handling this problem well enough on their own.  The situation has not devolved into any serious violence, and part of me doubts that it ever will.

Social behaviors and attitudes are not inborn.  Most of them must be learned from the environment.  At the beginning of my studies, I made sure to set a good example for my subjects.  I was supportive, I gave each of them the attention they deserved, and I demonstrated the importance of cooperation.  I did my best to teach them how to be kind.

My relationship with my subjects has become more distant since the sparring accident, but in no way has it become hostile.  These monsters have not had the chance to learn cruelty – true cruelty, making others suffer for the sake of amusement.  I like to think that the subjects have all developed into reasonably altruistic individuals.  They’ve seen the despair that death and injury can cause, and they should be unwilling to be the source of such pain.

Make no mistake, I will be watching the trio of 2’s closely.  Accidents can happen, and I cannot afford to lose anymore subjects. However, for now, I am giving these 2’s the benefit of the doubt.  They may be bullies, but they are not incapable of empathy.  They have souls.  When someone else is hurt, they should feel it, too.

These social interactions are fascinating.  It almost makes me forget that I have a job to do.


	43. ENTRY 49

**ENTRY 49**

Perhaps I expected too much of the subjects. As mature as they can seem, they are only a few months old. Children have always been particularly unskilled at tempering their emotions. They are…impulsive. More likely to resort to violence.

No, the subjects have not yet come to blows with each other. Today was perhaps the closest things have gotten, though.

During rec time, most of the subjects usually gather near the center of the room. C1, on the other hand, prefers to sit off to the side. At the start of each common period, he grabs a few books off the bookshelves, sits down at one of the tables, and reads until it is time to go back to his room. Today, however, fate had other plans.

About an hour into his reading, the trio of B2, T2, and V2 broke away from the cluster of subjects at the center of the room. They approached C1, and when he did not so much as look up from his book, they began to harass him verbally.

I have only been able to pick up a smattering of the subjects' bone-rattling language over the months. However, from what I did understand, the three of them took issue with the fact that C1 is the only unpartnered 1 remaining. Perhaps one of them seeks to pair up with him? This seems like an unusual way to go about forming such a relationship.

C1 still refused to acknowledge their presence, preferring to focus on his reading. The trio did not appreciate being ignored. Eventually, T2 yanked the book out of his hands. V2 shoved C1 off his bench. All three of them laughed, and T2 began ripping pages out of the book.

This action caught the rest of the subjects' attention. However, none of them did anything to assist C1. They only watched, frozen in place as T2 tore out handful after handful of pages. A few tense moments passed before someone finally sprang into action – P2. He broke away from the group, dashing over to C1 as fast as his legs could carry him.

When first watching the tapes, I a little worried that P2 would join the trio's bullying efforts. Like them, he is an unpaired 2. However, he instead stopped short at C1 and began excitedly chatting away with him. It was as if the other three 2's weren't even there.

C1 smiled and nodded along. After a few sentences, P2 held out his hand, and C1 took it. P2 pulled the smaller skeleton to his feet. C1, still smiling, began to walk back to the main group of subjects.

P2 made to follow him, but the sound of heavy footsteps caught his attention. B2 closed the distance between them with a few massive strides and planted himself far too close for anyone's comfort. The bully towered over his opponent, fists clenched, eyes narrowed. B2 has never been very good with words, but his body language usually speaks well enough on its own.

P2 simply stood there, staring up at the larger skeleton. His smile did not waver. He did not tremble, did not sweat.

The entire common room had gone silent. After a few agonizing, tense moments, B2 finally made a move. He held up one fist, pounded it against his opposing palm, and stormed back to the group.

V2 and T2 hesitantly followed him. P2 watched them leave, gave a shrug, and rejoined the group as well. He began talking with some of his fellow subjects, easing the tension, and the rest of the room soon returned to its previous conversations.

P2 and C1 didn't interact with each other for the remainder of the common period, though C1 was a bit more social than usual that day. B2, T2, and V2 did nothing more than mumble conspiratorially amongst themselves. When they all returned to their quarters at the end of the rec period, the only signs that anything unusual had happened were the torn-up remains of C1's book. I discovered this on my nightly round through the facilities, which prompted me to look up that day's common hour footage for an explanation, and…well.

It would do well for me to keep a closer eye on the subjects from here on out. The next time the trio of 2's tries something that…adventurous, it could end very badly. It pains me to take time out of my work schedule to essentially babysit these skeletons from afar, but…

…This is entire reason why I want to finish my work as soon as possible, isn't it? To ensure the well-being of my subjects? I can't let these conditions persist. True, becoming involved might destabilize the precarious social balance between the trio and the rest of the subjects, but it's becoming increasingly clear to me that the situation is already destabilizing on its own. Action must be taken.

What kind monster would I be if I simply allowed my own children hurt each other?


	44. ENTRY 50

**ENTRY 50**

Today was a disappointment.

After each subject completed their individual SPEED tests, I showed them the torn remains of the book from yesterday. I told each of them that I wasn't angry or disappointed that the book had been destroyed, but I was curious about who had done it and why.

With a few notable exceptions, every single subject denied involvement. They claimed not to have seen what had happened. Do they want to keep their social affairs secret from me? Are they afraid that tattling on the "trio" will make them the next target? Even C1 denied knowing anything about the incident, and he arguably has the most to gain from seeing the trio put in their place.

P2, likewise, claimed not to have seen anything. Knowing him, he wasn't afraid of punishment from those other 2's – he stared down B2 without so much as a hint of fear. Instead, I suspect he is trying to keep the trio from getting in trouble. It might be his way of making amends with them.

Friendliness and kindness are all well and good, but B2 was furious at him for intervening. If P2 wants to put himself on better terms with those three, then I fear that he is playing with fire. He is by no means a pushover with regards to battle prowess – he did kill S1 in one shot, after all – but I am not sure he'd be able to defend himself against someone like B2.

Speaking of B2, he was one of the few subjects who did claim to know something about the book incident. Interestingly enough, he told me that C1 had been the one to destroy it. His friends gave similar answers. V2 was particularly curious about how C1 would be punished for destroying something that wasn't his. I told her that no one was being punished. She looked disappointed.

This "trio" needed to learn that their violent actions could not continue. Luckily, the solution was simple. Just before the common hours, I brought the three of them together in one of the examination rooms, and I informed them that a few of the other subjects had told me the truth. Not only had T2 destroyed the book himself, but the three of them had ganged up on C1 with malicious intent. To top it all off, the three of them had gone on to lie to me about it.

They tried to argue with me, but I would have none of it. I reasserted that, no, none of them were going to be punished for this incident, but this kind of behavior would not be tolerated. If they continued down this path, then I would be forced to take action.

I should have had more foresight. I should have looked for a better option. But…well, what's done is done.

When common time began, I watched the rec room through a live camera feed. I needed to make sure that the trio would behave themselves, but I was swiftly disappointed. Evidently, T2 did not take kindly to the idea that someone else had tattled on him. He raged at the other subjects, violently rattling his bones at anyone who so much as looked at him the wrong way. He was surprisingly terrifying for someone so short. At the peak of his fury, he even chased down other subjects and shoved them to the ground.

Luckily, T2 calmed down after about half an hour, and B2 and V2 did not contribute to this tantrum. They stood off to the side, looking…ashamed, almost, while he raged. When he finally ran out of steam, they pulled him aside to comfort him. The rest of the subjects gave them a very wide berth.

I did not think it would come to this so quickly. Oh well. T2 now needs to be taught a lesson, and as it so happens, I have a few ideas for how to do exactly that.


	45. ENTRY 51

**ENTRY 51**

I've always had a certain fondness for clocks. Once time passes, we cannot take it back. We cannot stop it, cannot slow it. But, with clocks, we gain some measure of control. We can watch time and keep track of it. We can chart it, divide it, schedule it.

Each of the subjects' private quarters has a clock hanging over the doorway. Likewise, there is a clock in the rec room. However, there are no clocks in any of the experimentation or testing areas. The subjects can never be exactly sure how long their tests drag on.

T2 was the last subject scheduled for testing that day. It was stressful, tiring work. When he was finished, I offered to walk him back to his quarters. He grumbled at me in response, but regardless, I led him through the corridors.

We eventually arrived at his room. I informed him that the common time would be starting in a few minutes. He should rest while he still could. There was no suspicion in his eyes as he shot me one final glance. The thought of questioning my sincerity never even occurred to him.

Since his clock was above his doorway, he could not see it without first entering his quarters. Sure enough, as he strode into the room, he twisted his head around to get a view of the time. He likely wanted to see how long it would be before he could see his friends again.

By the time he realized that the common time had started nearly half an hour ago, I had already closed the door and locked it behind him.

He pounded on the door with a surprising amount of ferocity. Sadly, the doors and walls of this facility were built to survive the occasional Hotland quake. What were a skeleton's bare fists compared to magically-reinforced steel?

I could hear his bones rattling from beyond the door. He demanded to be let out. I informed him that this was his punishment for yesterday's tantrum. If he could not be trusted to interact with his fellow subjects in a constructive manner, then he would not have the chance to interact with them at all.

Shifting tactics, he began apologizing profusely. He told me he was sorry taking his anger out on the other subjects, and he swore never to let it happen again. He begged me to let him see B2 and V2. He pleaded to at least let them talk to him. He told me I could do whatever I wanted, anything at all, so long as he didn't have to feel so small and alone and trapped.

Eventually, his shouts turned to wails, his wails became sobs, and then his sobs faded to whimpers. When he was silent for a full five minutes, I walked back to my workroom and returned to my calculations.

I expected it to be difficult, listening to him beg and plead for his freedom, but it was all surprisingly easy. I should be glad. Never once was I tempted to revoke my punishment and release him. This kind of resolve made everything go much more smoothly. And yet…

I am incredibly tired. I've had a lot on my mind lately – finalizing the SPEED tests, preparing for the ATK tests, and now dealing with the subjects' behavioral issues. I technically do not require sleep to function, but the past few days have given me a very convincing argument for why I should partake in it regardless.


	46. ENTRY 52

**ENTRY 52**

T2 was very well-behaved today, both during his testing regimen and the common hours. It appears that he has learned his lesson.

In other news, I've developed a theory that could explain why the "trio" has become so aggressive. It might also explain why the subjects have chosen to partner up with each other.

Before the rise of monster civilization, skeletons lived solitary lifestyles. Each of them roamed a rather large territory, and this kept them quite isolated from each other. When skeletons did managed to interact with each other, it was usually due to territorial disputes. Some humans archaeological studies show that some of the more powerful skeletons could occupy the same tract of land for decades.

Considering what I've learned about my subjects' magic systems, this territorial behavior makes sense. A skeleton's land would have provided them with the large amount of earth magic needed to sustain their body. Without enough terriroty, a skeleton would have essentially starved. With surplus territory, on the other hand…

If a skeleton takes enough land for themselves, they can safely reproduce. They decide on a proper burial site, and then they plant as many as nine teeth in the chosen spot. As the children gestate, the parent spends the years watching over the land and defending it from other skeletons. Once the clutch of newborns digs its way to the surface, however, the parent's job is done. They leave the children to fend for themselves.

It is within the children's best interests to cooperate with each other. How else are they supposed to defend themselves from neighboring skeletons or dangerous monsters? However, as skeletons grow, they need to draw upon a larger and larger plot of land for sustenance. It is my theory that the clutch would eventually split into multiple "sub-clutches" and go their separate ways, spreading out and establishing their own territories.

I have taken great care to provide my subjects with foods rich in earth magic. These skeletons don't need to worry about establishing territories or fighting over land. However, there is little I can do to outright change their biological systems. The subjects could still feel the psychological drive to divide themselves into separate groups and act aggressively towards outsiders.

Of course, it is a skeleton's fate to live alone. The same psychological compulsion that breaks clutches into sub-clutches could, in time, break down the sub-clutches. I could soon find myself with eighteen skeletons who can't stand the sight of each other, their previous partnerships forgotten.

Or, my theory could be completely wrong. I will just have to wait and see.


	47. ENTRY 53

**ENTRY 53**

For a while, it seemed like T2's punishment had done the trick. Unfortunately, it did nothing to stop the bullying entirely. Judging by the trio's expressions and their body language, much of what they say to the other subjects is either a threat or a verbal barb. At least physical violence is out of the equation.

The trio kept a very close eye on A1, almost as if they were planning to make a move against her, but they could not take any direct action. Instead, they…well. The subjects have once again managed to surprise me with their level of resourcefulness.

The trio realized that their earlier efforts to control the rest of the subjects were no longer viable. I was the only person in the facility who could freely punish others. Therefore, it was up to me to dish out whatever harm the trio wished to inflict. They knew what it was like to be in trouble. Why not get someone else into trouble instead?

A1 and F2 are relatively new partners. They paired up soon after the sparring incident. A1 holds onto her partner very tightly - she likely believes that F2 is her last true chance at companionship. It's a miracle that he would partner up with someone who has so much dust on their hands.

V2 was the one who chose to set off the chain of events. She patiently waited until A1 and F2 happened to pass by her. Then, she brushed past F2, and he tripped. She was very good at disguising her motions. Had I not been able to rewind and replay the scene, I might have mistaken it all for an accident.

Regardless of how realistic it might have looked, A1 did not take kindly to her partner tumbling to the ground. She whirled towards the offending 2 and shot her an angered glare. V2 flashed a smile and muttered something in response.

A1's eyes went wide. V2 didn't stop – she went right on talking, sweeping her arms about in dramatic gestures. Whatever she was saying, it couldn't have been something A1 wanted to hear. As V2 talked, A1's teeth ground together. F2 had gotten up off the ground by this point, but A1 hardly seemed to notice his attempts to pull her away.

V2 was clearly trying to provoke A1 into attacking her. She perhaps did her job a little too well. A1 clenched her fists, and above both of their heads, an attack sprung into being – a warped, elongated skull.

V2 looked up at it, and she froze. Her smug expression quickly gave way to nervousness. Evidently, she had never meant to push A1 quite that far.

A1 took an aggressive step towards her. Light flared in the skull-cannon's jaws.

Before matters could escalate further, another skeleton stepped between the two of them. Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, it was P2.

He spoke animatedly to both of them, a smile plastered on his face. Knowing him, he was talking about something completely unrelated to the situation at hand. V2 took the opportunity to edge backwards a few feet.

A1 was not amused. In the middle of one of P2's sentences, she jabbed a finger in his direction. Her skull obeyed, and it tipped downwards to focus on its new target.

P2 stared straight down the glowing barrel. He was visibly shaken. P2, the skeleton who had stared down B2 without so much as a hint of fear, could not help but tremble under the gaze of the skull. This was the attack that had frightened him into killing his own partner.

P2 weakly attempted to say something, but A1 was having none of it. She shouted and rattled at him, her gestures becoming wilder by the second. Every time P2 tried to respond, she cut him off, growing angrier and angrier.

Finally, P2 was allowed to get in a full sentence. A1 froze. Hesitantly, P2 continued, his bone clicks barely audible. There was not another sound in the room.

It was at this point that I paused in my SPEED calculations and looked up at the clock. The common hours were nearly over. As was becoming my habit, I checked the rec room camera feed. I was greeted with the sight of A1's cannon aiming directly at P2's face.

My hands fumbled for the PA microphone. I tried to keep my voice level as I made my usual announcement for the end of the common time. Luckily, my interruption broke any tension that remained in the scene. F2 finally managed to pull his partner away. The skull dissolved into a shower of magic. V2 ducked into the mass of subjects heading for the door, and P2, still a little shaken, followed her.

I'm not sure if I can take any action regarding this incident. Had V2 crossed a line of some sort, or was A1 overreacting? Should I punish V2 for something as minor as provoking another subject? Judging by her reaction to A1′s attack, she has already learned her lesson. As for A1, can I honestly fault her for losing control of her magic again? Her magical control was very strong before the sparring accident, but afterwards…

Luckily, the SPEED tests are nearly at an end. Just a few more calculations, I can move everyone onto the ATK phase. All of my subjects will be that much closer to leaving this drama behind.


	48. LOG A1-P2

** LOG A1-P2 **

HELLO, LADIES! GREAT WEATHER TODAY. ANYWAYS, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU TWO ARE HAVING A DEEP, SUPER-IMPORTANT CONVERSATION, BUT I REALLY NEED TO TALK TO VERDANA. IT'S ABOUT...TREBUCHET AND BROADWAY! THEY NEED TO TELL HER SOMETHING. SO, IF SHE COULD JUST...GO OVER THERE, TO THEM, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

...

IS SOMETHING WRONG, ARIAL? YOU LOOK LIKE YOU-

shut up.

WH...NO!

what, you think i'm just going to let verdana walk away? did you even hear what she was saying about franklin gothic?

NNH...!

you had to have heard. you just don't care. you're too screwed up in the head to really care about anything anymore.

P-PLEASE DON'T-

no, i'm gonna keep pointing this blaster at you. do you know why?

N...N-

it's because i'm sick and tired of hearing your little cheerful quips. i'm sick and tired of watching you prance everywhere with a spring in your step. and worst of all, i'm sick and tired of looking at your stupid. fake. grin.

BUT IT'S NOT-

but it's not fake? what, do you really think you're fooling anyone with that act? "oh, look at me, i'm so happy all the time, be my friend!" please. your brother died, and you never found another one. you're just like verdana, but she's at least honest about how much her life sucks.

BUT-

i killed her sister, i killed broadway's brother, and if trebuchet had ever gotten himself a sibling, i probably would've killed them, too. all of the solo BIGS are alone because of me, and all you can do is smile about it?

I JUST-

don't you get it? i killed your brother! if you had any sense in you, you'd hate me, but you know what? i think watching him die messed you up somehow. you're so broken that you don't even know what pain feels like. that's the only explanation for that stupid smile of yours.

ANYONE CAN-

anyone can what? anyone can smile and be happy if they just have the right attitude? newsflash, it's not that easy! some of us have dust on our hands!

BUT I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE?

...what?

I WAS... I WAS SPARRING WITH MY BROTHER, AND AN ATTACK FROM ANOTHER FIGHT HIT ME, AND I TRIED REALLY HARD TO KEEP MY MAGIC FROM GOING ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT I STILL ENDED UP SHOOTING A BONE AT HIM, AND...

...

I...GUESS YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT. YOU WERE TOO BUSY TRYING TO STOP YOUR MAGIC FROM HURTING ANYONE ELSE. IT'S HARD. I KNOW SOME OF THE smalls DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW HARD IT IS SOMETIMES, BUT..

...

HE WAS MY BROTHER, BUT HE LIKED KEEPING SECRETS. HE NEVER WANTED ANYONE TO KNOW THE REAL "HIM," NOT EVEN ME. BUT STILL! I KNOW HE WOULDN'T HAVE WANTED ME TO MOPE AROUND AND BE SAD. HE WOULD'VE WANTED ME TO HELP PEOPLE AND BE FRIENDS WITH THEM. SO, NO MATTER HOW HARD IT IS, I HAVE TO WORK HARD AT BEING HAPPY. AND TO-

"Attention. Common hours are now over. Please exit the recreation room and return to your quarters."

OH. UM.

...

DO YOU-

shut up. and leave me alone.

O-OKAY.


	49. ENTRY 54

**ENTRY 54**

The SPEED tests are now complete. For the most part, all of my discoveries fit my predicted models. However, I have come to some…problematic conclusions.

SPEED is relatively unresponsive to environmental factors, but there are some cases where a subject's SPEED will shift slightly. For instance, H2 responds very well to challenges. If she is pushed to a limit that is just beyond her normal capabilities, she will rise to the occasion and eke out an extra point of SPEED. In contrast, some of the 1's do not respond well to that kind of stress. K1 and O1 are particularly notorious examples – when pressured, their SPEED noticeably drops.

These are just some of the more basic cases. Some subjects simply do not respond to pressure and expectation. Others respond in wildly different ways depending on the situation. As far as I can tell, there is no common link between any of these cases. Personality likely has something to do with it, but I can't study the nebulous, undefinable factor that is "personality". Even the humans seem to be having problems figuring that one out.

This isn't even the only variable in the SPEED equations. It is rare, but a subject will occasionally experience a day with a significantly higher or lower SPEED than usual. The next, they will be back to normal. It's baffling. It's frustrating.

Unfortunately, finding the cause of these SPEED variations could require looking into the finer details of the subjects' magic systems. I have already done this extensively in my biological survey of the subjects, but there is only so much one can learn from spectergraph scans and magic samples. Sometimes, one needs to open up the body, observe the lay lines directly, peel apart the different structures of the nodes…

Of course, I would never resort to such measures. They are extraordinarily risky and entirely unnecessary. The SPEED variances may frustrate me, but the overall changes are small and insignificant. I can still approximate the subjects' SPEED scores, and I can do so with confidence.

It worries me, however. The ATK tests are next, and ATK is a particularly difficult stat to pin down. What if my controlled environment is not "controlled" enough? What if I cannot draw any meaningful conclusions due to the inconsistent nature of the data? What measures might I have to resort to in order to find the answers I require?

…I suppose it's foolish to attempt crossing the bridge before one even finds the river. All I can do is perform the ATK tests to the best of my ability. If my best is not good enough, then…somehow, I'll find a way. Somehow.


	50. ENTRY NUMBER 13

**ENTRY NUMBER 13**

RS.

RS!

QC FSHC.

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QEKMG ERH HYWX.

FYX M GER'X HMI.

XLIC ASR'X PIX QI HMI.

XLIC ASR'X PIX QI WXST.

MX LYVXW WS QYGL.

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PCS XU X RPCCDI SXT,

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FEV CZEV RK R KZDV,

A OADD VWKUWFV,

NGMBE PX ATOX TEE KXTVAXW MKNX WTKDGXLL.


	51. ENTRY 55

**ENTRY 55**

While ATK is more variable than SPEED, its mechanics are more straightforward. SPEED describes the complex interplay between many different slow-twitch and fast-twitch responses. ATK, meanwhile, is a simple ratio between the amount of magic in their attacks and the level of damage that results.

The subjects spent much of the past few days launching attacks at a dummy. While this dummy is still devoid of ghosts, I've filled it to near-bursting with magical detection equipment. This allowed me to record the magical output of their attacks and the corresponding level of damage, which in turn allowed me to make some interesting discoveries.

First of all, the 1′s have a more stable ATK stat than the 2′s. However, this comparison does not mean much. A 2′s ATK can vary wildly over the course of a fight. Over the course of a single round, even. Their underdeveloped magic systems are likely to blame for this. They simply can't sustain their peak level of magic production.

Secondly, the 1′s appear capable of voluntarily manipulating their ATK, at least to an extent. If I instruct them to strike with more force, their attacks do significantly more damage. It's simply unfortunate that their baseline ATK leaves something to be desired. The 1′s may have enormous magic reserves, but their low ATK ensures that they will burn through this reserve depressingly quickly.

History has an unfortunate habit of repeating itself. Once again, the dummy is proving less and less useful every day. Its various detectors can record data, but they cannot synchronize with each other to compute any meaningful numbers. After I run an ATK test with a subject, I must individually plug each detector into a printer, print out the data tables, go over them by hand, and painstakingly calculate the ATK for each detected attack.

Even once this hassle is dealt with, the subjects' calculated ATK scores are falling significantly below what my models predict. This, too, is the dummy's fault. There is no satisfaction in winning a fight that is impossible to lose. When the subjects are given an opponent that cannot dodge or retaliate, they see no point in putting any effort into their attacks.

It seems inevitable. The only way to see the subjects' full potential is to make them fight again. However, this leaves me with one very important question to answer.

Will they be fighting each other, or will they be fighting me instead?


	52. ENTRY 56

**ENTRY 56**

I have put a great deal of thought into what might happen if the subjects needed to spar again. I suppose a part of my mind has always been distracted by the prospect. I have never been the kind of person to simply accept failure and move on.

I have done away with the idea of letting all the subjects participate in simultaneous sparing matches. This kind of set-up would make my tests go quite a bit faster, but it's been made abundantly clear that the risk is not worth the reward. From now on, the matches will occur one at a time. This will allow me to observe each fight closely and put a stop to it if something goes wrong.

Furthermore, I have hesitantly decided to excuse the 1's from sparring, at least for now. They are too fragile for my comfort, and even if I were to design suitable armor for them, their magic is incredibly potent. I cannot risk pitting them against other subjects. Their magical finesse is usually stellar, but... I cannot disregard what happened with A1 and her supposedly-unbreakable grip of control.

As for the question of who the subjects would be sparring against, I have decided to go by half-measures. Once the subjects prove themselves by sparring with me, I will arrange for them to spar against each other.

I have spent the last few days giving each of the for 2's a chance to fight me. As an added bonus, I already know the value of my ATK stat, assuming that I could hold it steady. By keeping track of my opponents' HP and doing some mental calculations, I have already begun to gauge the subjects' DEF in a battle scenario.

I began each match in a very slow, very controlled manner. I allowed each subject to find their footing and become comfortable with the situation before I launched any realistic offensive against them. Most of the subjects fight very well – on average, their stats are far better than mine. Let it be known that B2, in addition to being built like a truck, also has the tendency to hit like one. Oof… I can still feel the bruise.

Only P2 showed any level of difficulty in his matches. He was very jittery and nervous, and it took me a disappointingly long time to realize why. Staring danger in the face is something he can handle with ease. Putting others in danger is another story.

I tried to assure P2 that I have a reasonably good DEF and HP. There was no attack he could muster that would do more than moderately inconvenience me. Unfortunately, these facts did not seem to comfort him. He moved about frantically, dodging but not retaliating.

Finally, I stopped the match, apologized for putting him through such a nerve-wracking experience, and offered to excuse him from any sparring matches with the other subjects. He is a data point I would like to add to my plots, but putting him through what could literally be his worst nightmare… No, it shouldn't be worth it.

To my surprise, however, he rejected my offer. He told me he still wanted to practice fighting, even against other people. I asked him why, and he fumbled his response, saying something about "needing practice" and "not wanting to be left out." The true reason behind his choice was clear, however. He wants prove to himself that his magic is his own, even under the stress of battle. He needs to show himself that, no, he will not make the same mistake twice.

I will respect P2's wishes – once the 2's begin sparring against each other, I will allow him to participate. I am not sure how well he will do against the likes of B2 and Z2, but…well, the subjects have always found ways to surprise me. Perhaps P2 will even surprise himself.


	53. ENTRY 57

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Due to time dilation and temporal shifts, this log will no longer update daily. Instead, it will update on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Thank you for your patience and understanding._

**ENTRY 57**

I once held the belief that the subjects’ social interactions during the common hours would not significantly influence the results of my studies.  This is no longer the case.

Up until very recently, each member of the trio had conducted themselves surprisingly well during their fights.  T2 managed to keep his considerable temper under control.  B2, despite his massive physical strength, did not seriously injure any of his opponents.  V2 has the tendency to trash-talk, but she has not crossed any unacceptable lines, even against her traditional targets.

For P2′s first handful of matches, I scheduled him to spar with some of his closer friends - L2, F2, and the like. This allowed him to build up the confidence he so desperately needed.  He had yet to best any of them in battle, but no one had completely overpowered him, either.  I estimated his combat prowess to be on the same level as V2′s.  So, curious to see how they would fare against each other, I slated those two for a match.

I should note that P2 has interfered with V2 on two separate occasions – once during the trio’s harassment of C1, and once during their plan to set off A1.  In this combat scenario, P2 was hesitant to fight her.  However, V2 was quite the opposite.  She attacked him in earnest the moment I declared the start of the match.  

P2′s attempts at dodging were admirable – most attacks merely clipped him – but one bone caught him off guard.  It struck him across the shins, knocking his legs out from under him.  Once he fell, he attempted to get to his feet, but V2 had other plans.  Before he could properly regain his footing, V2 sent another attack at his legs.  Again, he fell.  Again, he tried to rise, only for V2 to send him to the ground.  This process repeated itself a few times.

I chose not to immediately call off the match.  None of V2’s attacks were inflicting significant HP damage. Her intent was clearly to humiliate him, to make him feel frustrated and helpless, not to injure him.  He was not in any real danger.  And…frankly, I wanted to see what he would do.  He was certainly not upset with her.  Rather…

Every time P2 tried to get back up, he attempted to reason with her.  She refused to listen, but that did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm. Though, after a few rounds of fruitlessly trying to stand, he was clearly becoming annoyed.  Something was going to have to change.

Suddenly, the floor lit up with a shimmering, blue magic.  V2 staggered as if a sudden weight had dropped onto her.  She hesitated in the middle of her attack, clearly confused.  During this pause, P2 pushed himself to his feet and brushed himself off.  He smiled at her as if nothing was amiss.  

V2 threw another attack at him, but the bone she launched fell far short of her intended target.  It was as if gravity itself had multiplied threefold. That is the beauty of blue fields – they effect the soul directly.  Anything connected to the soul becomes burdened by gravitational forces.  This includes both a monster’s body and the attacks they summon.

P2 dominated the battle from that point onward.  V2 favors aerial bone attacks, but the additional gravity reduced her range and crippled her aim.  P2 linked his attacks to the floor and ceiling, ensuring that the field had little to no effect on his aim or range.  His attack patterns were organized, logical, methodical.  It was as if he had planned out his strategies ahead of time.

V2 did not fare well against this kind of assault.  The floor-linked bones in conjunction with the gravity field had the tendency to trip her up.  Every time she fell, however, P2 waited for her to stand up properly. He made it extensively clear that he would not resort to the same unfair tactics that she had so gleefully indulged in earlier.

V2, however, did not take any of this kindly.  Whenever she stood back up, she immediately launched retaliation attacks.  Sometimes, she did not even wait to stand.  She was clearly not thinking straight.  Her attacks were wild and disorganized, and her aim only deteriorated as the fight continued and her fury grew.  P2 was easily able to outright dodge most of her offense, and those few attacks that did hit him were not enough to disrupt his magic.

The fight was fascinating to watch.  I did not even consider calling it off until a dark though occured to me: V2 stood no chance of regaining her previous control over the match.  The longer the fight went on, the more likely it became that she would resort to something rash.  Considering her emotional state at the time, it might not have taken much for her magic to manifest into something...extreme.

Finally, I announced end of the match.  I administered a healing spell to both subjects and returned them their rooms to rest. V2 grumbled the entire way back about how P2 had “tricked her” and that it was “unfair” she had been forced to fight him.  P2, meanwhile, couldn’t stop apologizing for losing his composure in the middle of battle. Though P2 and V2 have many things in common – their size, their HP, their general stat levels – their personalities couldn’t be any more different.

On one hand, it saddens me that the subjects’ social conflicts are beginning to interfere with my tests.  I doubt V2 would have used such underhanded tactics against B2 or T2.  However, I am also delighted to see that at least one 2 has managed to master blue gravity fields.  This demands thorough investigation.  If all of the 2’s can gain this level of skill, it could radically increase the effectiveness of the eventual skeleton army.

These next few days of sparring matches could be very, very interesting.  However, they could also be very, very dangerous.  I will need to tread carefully.


End file.
